Why isn’t Chicago Fire new tonight, May 1?

Why isn’t Chicago Fire new tonight, May 1? Find out why NBC isn’t airing a new Chicago Fire season 7 episode this Wednesday and when the show returns.

Why isn’t Chicago Fire new tonight? One Chicago fans may have noticed that the series is not on NBC‘s primetime schedule this Wednesday, but viewers might not be aware of the specific reason why.

Despite the popularity of the One Chicago franchise, live events still bring in huge TV ratings, and NBC has a big live event planned for May 1. The network is the new home of the Billboard Music Awards, so Wednesday night will be taken over by three hours of music awards and performances hosted by The Voice coach Kelly Clarkson.

That won’t make Chicago Fire viewers happy, but it makes a lot of sense for the network. Award shows like the BBMAs, Grammys, Oscars, and so forth normally win their time slots, and NBC was able to get the Billboard ceremony away from ABC in 2018.

They can switch out programming and not have a huge difference in the ratings—there’s even the chance that the special event will do as good as, or better than, their regular Wednesday lineup.

So now you know why isn’t Chicago Fire new tonight, but what does that mean going forward? It actually comes with some good news! While Firehouse 51 has its doors closed this evening, it will be back next Wednesday, May 8 in its normal 9 p.m. time slot.

And because of the limited amount of time left in the season, this should be the last time that fans have to deal with a schedule change. There simply isn’t enough time left for more preemptions or reruns. NBC may have frustrated fans this week, but they’ll have plenty of action for you the next few weeks!

For the latest Chicago Fire season 7 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago Fire category at One Chicago Center.