NCIS: Sydney is an Australian military police procedural series and is a spin-off of NCIS and its franchise. It was created as the first spin-off outside the United States, and follows a fictional task force of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers working together on investigations involving American military personnel. The series features Australian actors and producers and stars Olivia Swann, Todd Lasance, Sean Sagar, Tuuli Narkle, Mavournee Hazel and William McInnes.
NCIS: Sydney premiered on 10 November 2023 on Paramount+ in Australia. A second season premiered on 7 February 2025. In February 2025, the series was renewed for a third season, which premiered on Paramount+ on 14 October 2025. In January 2026, it was renewed for a fourth season.
Contents
Cast
Recurring
Lewis Fitz-Gerald as Richard Rankin, DoD attache and a U.S. Colonel
Bert LaBonté as NCIS Special Agent in Charge Ken Carter
Claude Jabbour as Travis 'Trigger' Riggs
Noah Eid as Trey Mackey, Agent Mackey's son
Episodes
Production
On 16 February 2022, it was reported that a spin-off set in Sydney, Australia, was in the works. NCIS: Los Angeles producer Shane Brennan was attached to the project. The series was created by Morgan O'Neill. It is executive produced by O'Neill, Sara Richardson and Sue Seeary and produced by Michele Bennett. It began filming in May 2023.
On 20 March 2024, NCIS: Sydney was renewed for a second season, which premiered on 7 February 2025. Two special episodes were filmed in Darwin and surrounding areas for season 2.
The series was renewed for a third season on 21 February 2025 and later premiered on 14 October 2025. After a mid-season hiatus, season 3 would continue on 17 February 2026 in Australia and 3 March 2026 in the U.S.
Broadcast
Australian broadcast
NCIS: Sydney premiered 10 November 2023 on Paramount+ in Australia. On 13 November, it was announced that the first season would receive a delayed free-to-air broadcast on Network 10 in 2024; the first episode aired 27 November as a "special preview" to promote Paramount+, followed by a full run beginning on 14 May 2024.
International broadcast
The series is distributed outside Australia by Paramount Global Content Distribution and is available for streaming on Paramount+ in New Zealand, the United States, the UK, Ireland, South Korea, Canada, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Japan.
After initially being slated to be a Paramount+ exclusive in the United States, the franchise's parent network CBS announced in September 2023 that NCIS: Sydney would premiere on 14 November 2023 as replacement programming due to the WGA and SAG–AFTRA strikes (which had disrupted all American television and film production). It would initially air in the Tuesday night timeslot normally occupied by NCIS, as its next season was delayed to early-2024. The series became the first Australian television series to air in U.S. prime time. In Canada, the series was similarly picked up by Global, airing in simulcast with the CBS airing.
Until its main scripted lineup returned, NCIS: Sydney was briefly the highest-rated program on CBS's lineup. In March 2024, it was confirmed that season 2 would also air on CBS; network executive Amy Reisenbach noted that the series performed well in viewership, even with the limited amount of original programming surrounding it on its schedule due to the strikes. Season 2 premiered on 7 February 2025 in a Friday night timeslot, replacing Blue Bloods following its series finale. Season 3 premiered on CBS on 14 October 2025, with the series returning to Tuesday nights alongside NCIS and NCIS: Origins.
Ratings
Australian ratings
These are the Australian ratings for episodes airing on Network 10.
International ratings
As replacement programming on CBS in the U.S. during the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes, the series had the highest rated premiere viewership for a broadcast show premiering in fall 2023 and was the top most watched new series on broadcast television as of January 2024. In Australia, it was the most watched local program since the launch of Paramount+ in the country.