Professionals is loosely based on the 2012 film Soldiers of Fortune, and each planned season was intended to star Tom Welling as Vincent Corbo protecting a different new client.

The series was created by Jeff Most and Michael Colleary.

The first season was commissioned by Viaplay, which announced the project in May 2019, with co-production involving Most Media, Subotica, Spier Films Production, Roadside Attractions, Jeff Most Productions, Highbridge Production, and Leonine Holding (then Tele München Group).

Filming began in late May 2019 in South Africa and Ireland under Leonine Holding and wrapped in September 2020, meaning production spanned well over a year.

The series stars Tom Welling and Brendan Fraser, with Brendan Fraser portraying billionaire futurist Peter Swann as the client protected in the first season.

Although the first season premiered internationally on 23 November 2020, it was not acquired by The CW for United States broadcast until September 2021, finally airing there from 11 October to December 2022.

The CW quietly cancelled the show in June 2023 due to low ratings and a strategic shift following the network's acquisition by Nexstar, which stated it would prioritize more unscripted productions going forward.

Despite the cancellation, creator Jeff Most said he remained hopeful another network would pick up the series and that the team was still working on a second season while pitching it to other networks.