‘NCIS’ Officially Reaches a Series-High Thanks to a Major Formula Change

NCIS’s Season 24 premiere drew 6.45 million viewers, its strongest opening-night performance since 2024 and the most-watched programme on broadcast television that night. The article attributes the boost partly to Michael Weatherly’s return as Tony DiNozzo, now NCIS director, alongside renewed interest across the franchise.

The premiere’s audience was 20% higher than Season 23’s average, while viewership across the NCIS franchise was up 39%. Nielsen figures also placed the flagship among the five most-watched broadcast series, with 10.1 million viewers across live and seven-day multiplatform viewing. Showrunner Steven D. Binder said Weatherly’s role could continue beyond the initial plan, though its duration remains uncertain.