NCIS season 18 ratings debate: The easy case for renewal

We’re now into the month of April, and what that means by and large is that this is where more ratings debates happen than at any other time. There are a number of decisions that networks need to make but, when it comes to NCIS, we don’t think that anyone is going to have that hard of a time figuring this out.

Will there be an NCIS season 18? So long as the current cast wants to continue, we don’t really understand why this would even be a debate! It feels like a foregone conclusion more so than almost any other show on CBS. Yet, it’s still worth breaking down in this piece why another season is so assured.

The current ratings – So far, season 17 is averaging a 1.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic and more than 11.5 million viewers. The show is retaining more than 90% of its demo audience and more than 95% of its total audience versus season 16, and that’s the retention most shows would beg in order to have. We understand that recent events may be inflating ratings the past few weeks, but this is a show that is still getting more than 10 million viewers a week at all times. That’s unheard of in 2020 by and large.

The international audience – Remember that for many years, this was named the most-watched series in the entire world. That’s something that we have to imagine still matters, even if international viewing drops off. It’s an extra source of income for the studio, and CBS as a network. There’s no reason to send it off.

Streaming – There are almost 400 episodes that can be licensed online! That’s an incredible library and this is the sort of show that has a lot of re-watching potential, especially in times like this where people need a break.

If we had to wager, we’d say that there are some behind-the-scenes discussions happening already as to the future of NCIS. Given the present circumstances, thought, it’s probably just a little bit harder to move things forward than it typically would be. We’d hope for more confirmation on the future by the end of the month.

Related News – Be sure to get some more news about what’s coming on the next NCIS episode!

Do you want to see an NCIS season 18 renewal happen at CBS?

Be sure to share right now in the comments! Also, remember to stick around in the event you want some other news on the series. (Photo: CBS.)

This article was written by Jessica Carter. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.