NCIS franchise has generated about $10 billion for CBS, with New York spin-off averaging 7 million viewers

In today's television landscape, where new formats and original productions constantly compete for viewers' attention, a handful of franchises have managed to remain relevant across generations without losing their commercial appeal. NCIS is one of them. One of the longest-running and most profitable brands in American television, the franchise has generated approximately $10 billion in lifetime revenue, according to CBS estimates, taking into account advertising, licensing agreements, merchandising and its broader contribution to the network.

The latest addition to this expanding universe is NCIS: New York, a new spin-off starring LL Cool J and Scott Caan. Since its October debut, the series has averaged more than 7 million viewers per episode, making it one of the five most-watched entertainment programs currently airing on U.S. broadcast television. The result confirms the franchise's ability to attract new audiences while capitalizing on an already established brand.

CBS has increasingly built its programming strategy around NCIS. Tuesday nights are now largely dedicated to the franchise, with the original series followed by NCIS: New York and NCIS: Origins. The latter will eventually make way for NCIS: Sydney during the second half of the season. Four different productions, one recognizable universe and an established audience base.

From broadcast television to streaming: the value of a global brand

When NCIS premiered in September 2003 as a spin-off of the legal drama JAG, its success was not immediately extraordinary. During its first season, the series averaged approximately 12.3 million viewers, already placing it among the most-watched programs of the period. Its real growth came in the following years, after an initial phase marked by creative changes and production challenges.

Starting with its fourth season, when Shane Brennan took over as showrunner, viewership began to climb steadily. By 2008, NCIS had become one of the five most-watched television programs in the United States. Its growing popularity paved the way for further expansion, beginning with NCIS: Los Angeles in 2009 and NCIS: New Orleans in 2014. Both spin-offs managed to attract substantial audiences of their own.

However, the franchise's true international reach emerged through distribution. Initially perceived as a distinctly American production, centered on a federal investigative agency connected to the U.S. Navy, NCIS achieved unexpected popularity across several European markets and English-speaking countries, including Australia. Over time, its distribution rights have been licensed in more than 200 territories.

Streaming has provided another major source of growth. According to Nielsen data cited in the original report, the flagship series has ranked among the most-watched titles on streaming platforms in recent years. Over the past six years, American audiences have spent more time streaming the original NCIS than The Office, Friends and the entire collection of Netflix original series, with only Grey's Anatomy ranking higher.

For CBS, this represents a particularly important development: a production originally conceived for the traditional television era has found a second commercial life through digital distribution.

Spin-offs and licensing: CBS's strategy to monetize the franchise

Expanding the NCIS universe has become a central element of CBS's business strategy. Five new spin-offs have been commissioned over the past six years, although not all have achieved the same results. NCIS: Hawaii, for example, was eventually canceled, while NCIS: Sydney and NCIS: Origins remain part of the network's programming lineup.

The industrial logic is straightforward: leverage an established and recognizable brand while reducing some of the risks associated with launching entirely new productions. A loyal audience, familiar characters and a proven narrative structure allow the network to develop new products around an already successful intellectual property.

George Cheeks, co-chair of Skydance TV, has described NCIS as CBS's "silent hero". While the franchise may not generate the same media attention as other major entertainment properties, its audience figures and distribution performance make it one of the network's most valuable assets.

Its success also relies on a relatively simple narrative formula: investigations, mysteries to solve, recognizable protagonists and a workplace comedy element built around relationships between colleagues. An accessible structure that encourages audience loyalty without requiring a particularly demanding narrative commitment.

This approach also offers an economic advantage. Producing more than 20 episodes per year requires efficient organization and constant cost management. Collaboration between showrunners and network executives helps optimize lighting, filming locations and production resources, keeping a long-running series financially sustainable.

Broadcast television rediscovers the power of franchises

The NCIS phenomenon reflects a broader transformation taking place across the American television industry. As broadcast television audiences grow older and gradually shrink, networks are reducing their investments in entirely new concepts and increasingly relying on established formats, spin-offs and recognizable fictional universes.

CBS is not alone in pursuing this strategy. NBC has built a significant portion of its programming around productions by Dick Wolf, the creator of Law & Order and Chicago Fire, while other networks continue to rely on established titles such as Grey's Anatomy, Survivor and The Voice.

Familiarity has become a competitive advantage, although it does not eliminate the risk of market saturation. CBS executives have emphasized the importance of maintaining a degree of differentiation between productions rather than repeatedly reproducing the same formula. NCIS: New York, for instance, aims for a grittier atmosphere while retaining the defining elements of the original franchise.

The broader message for the entertainment industry is clear: in the streaming era, the value of an intellectual property is no longer measured solely by its debut ratings, but by its ability to generate revenue across generations of viewers, platforms and international markets.

NCIS demonstrates how a television production can evolve into a long-term commercial ecosystem. And with new spin-offs and international distribution agreements continuing to expand its reach, the franchise's business story appears far from over.