Why is there no new episode of Dateline this week (March 28, 2025)? Explained

On Friday, March 28, 2025, Dateline did not air a new episode on NBC due to the network's broadcast of the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships. The Women’s Free Skate competition was scheduled during the usual 9/8c timeslot, with live coverage from TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

As per NBC.com, March 25, 2025, the championship is one of the most significant events in the international figure skating calendar and plays a major role in determining Olympic qualification for the 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina.

This year’s competition features top-tier athletes including Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto, who is aiming for her fourth consecutive world title, and American skaters Isabeau Levito, Amber Glenn, and Alysa Liu.

NBC preempted Dateline to accommodate this live sporting event. While the weekly true crime series is on a brief break, fans can still catch up on previously aired episodes of Season 33, including its latest feature on the poisoning case of Dr. Mary Yoder, via Peacock or the show’s official website.

---

NBC is pausing Dateline this week to broadcast the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships on Friday, March 28

NBC has temporarily removed Dateline from its usual Friday night schedule on March 28, 2025, to air live coverage of the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships. The decision was made to accommodate the Women’s Free Skate event, which will be broadcast during Dateline’s regular 9/8c timeslot.

The 2025 World Figure Skating Championships are underway in Boston and this week’s Dateline had to make way. On Friday, March 28, NBC is airing the Women’s Free Skate live from TD Garden. As per DatelineTonight.com (March 27, 2025), the lineup includes defending champion Kaori Sakamoto from Japan and U.S. contenders Isabeau Levito, Amber Glenn and Alysa Liu.

The competition runs through March 30 and covers four major categories–women’s singles, men’s singles, pairs and ice dance. According to NBC.com (March 25, 2025), more than 200 athletes representing over 50 countries are skating this year.

This particular event is about more than medals. As explained by NBCSports.com (March 27, 2025), the results will impact how many skaters each nation can send to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. Sakamoto is chasing her fourth straight world title, which would make her the first woman to do so since Carol Heiss dominated from 1956 to 1960.

For the U.S., it’s a powerful mix. Levito is coming in strong with a silver from last year. Glenn is fresh off a Grand Prix Final win. Liu is back after stepping away from the sport and is set for her first Worlds since returning.

While fans may be disappointed by the temporary hiatus, the show is expected to return to its usual schedule the following week. In the meantime, viewers can stream past episodes from Season 33 on Peacock. The most recent broadcast, which aired on March 21, covered the 2015 poisoning death of chiropractor Dr. Mary Yoder.

According to NBC.com, on March 28, 2025, the case revisited the conviction and later release of Kaitlyn Conley, a former receptionist accused of murdering Yoder by slipping colchicine into her supplements. The episode titled Poison Twist examined the legal twists that emerged nearly a decade after the incident.

New episodes of Dateline air on Fridays at 9/8c on NBC and are available to stream the following day. Viewers can also access hundreds of previous episodes from Seasons 18 to 32 through Peacock.

---

Stay tuned for more updates.