While there were initial concerns about movingS.W.A.T.to a Friday night timeslot, it proved to be the best thing for the series. The linear ratings ticked up, and it performed well with fellow Friday night dramasFire CountryandBlue Bloods. Then CBS made a surprising and devastating change to the Friday night schedule, movingS.W.A.T.season 8into the 10 p.m. timeslot, causing the ratings to dip. We knew this was a bad idea at the time, and now the data proves it.
CBS' move has backfired, preventingS.W.A.T.season 9from happening. This was a series that was continuing to rebuild its audience after its struggles during season 4, and consistency is always the key to that success. WithS.W.A.T.already on the bubble and facing cancelation twice,the network’s switch ultimately failed to improve matters, puttingS.W.A.T.on theCBS 2025 cancelation list.
S.W.A.T. Season 8’s Ratings Started Out Steady
While Friday nights were once viewed as the “Death Night” for TV shows, it’s become a successful night for many networks.Blue Bloodscontinued to perform well for many years, andSupernaturalandBonesboth managed to make comebacks after their move to Friday nights.There was hope that the same would happen forS.W.A.T.,and for a while, it worked. In fact, the average ratings were above four million every week, beating its lowest point during season 4, but there were concerns thatBlue Bloods’linear ratings on CBSwere always stronger thanS.W.A.T.’s
“Hey Netflix, How You Doing?” Can A Different Network Or Streamer Save S.W.A.T. After CBS Canceled It For The 3rd Time?
After SWAT’s disappointing third cancelation by CBS, there might be some hope that it can still be saved by another network or streaming service.
Despite being lower thanBlue Bloods,S.W.A.T.’s linear ratings were stable, which is something all networks should want. With its move to Fridays in season 5, its ratings never dipped below a 6.14 million viewership average (viaTHR), which was actually up from season 4’s 5.96 million average. From these ratings,it was clear that people wanted to see more of the series, and they were willing to consistently give up their Friday nights to watch TV. It didn’t make sense to shake things up in January and move it to a later timeslot.
S.W.A.T. Season 8 Significantly Dipped In Ratings After Its Timeslot Move
The Linear Ratings Prove The Move Was A Terrible Idea
Except for the second episode of season 8,Shemar Moore’s series pulled in more than four million viewers each week throughout the fall schedule. Since its return in January in the later timeslot, it has struggled to pull in 3.5 million views, with just two weeks seeing 3.6 million views in the same day figures, according toTV Series Finale.
While the 10 p.m. timeslot was strong forBlue Bloods,the two shows are different in terms of storytelling.Blue Bloodshas consistently been a ratings draw for CBS, and it wouldn’t matter which timeslot it had, proving that theBlue Bloodscancelation was a mistake. There is a slightly older audience following Tom Selleck, while the younger audience would follow the likes of Donnie Wahlberg and Bridget Moynahan. However, theS.W.A.T.season 8 cast doesn’t have a big focus on an actor for an older generation more likely to be at home or not involved with family activities at 10 p.m. on Fridays.
1
0.28
4.045
2
0.27
3.835
3
0.32
4.545
4
0.31
4.253
5
0.26
4.132
6
0.35
4.617
7
0.29
4.334
8
0.34
4.366
9
0.24
3.140
10
0.25
3.473
11
0.21
3.398
12
3.483
13
3.666
14
3.199
15
3.685
S.W.A.T.season 8 was still trying to rebuild its audienceafter the initial back-and-forth over whether the series would be canceled or not. On top of that, CBS had already seen that this show didn’t perform well in the later timeslot when it aired on Thursdays and then Wednesdays.
Networks know that scheduling these shows at an earlier time is a better way to gain the audience back, andABC, CBS, and NBC were all considering getting rid of the 10 p.m. timeslot a couple of years agofor this very reason - the struggle with viewership. It’s no wonder that the ratings declined as the cop drama moved to it.
S.W.A.T. Could Have Continued Thriving If It Stayed In Its 8 P.M. Timeslot
CBS Put NCIS: Sydney Before S.W.A.T.
Unfortunately, CBS bumpedS.W.A.T.to giveNCIS: Sydneya boost, movingS.W.A.T.out of the slot where it had been comfortable. While the cop drama went up against NBC’s newest comedyHappy’s Place, the series could have continued to perform well on Friday nights. The two shows pull in different audiences, with comedies offering a great next-day watch as they are quick and easy to add into a day.S.W.A.T.season 8 had already proven to perform well up against Reba McEntire’s comedy in the fall, so there was no need to worry about it come the winter returns.
Yes, CBS wanted to giveNCIS: Sydneya positive push, but that shouldn’t have been at the expense of a longer-running show.
Yes, CBS wanted to giveNCIS: Sydneya positive push, but that shouldn’t have been at the expense of a longer-running show. To make matters worse,NCIS: Sydneywas never supposed to be a broadcast series in the first place. It was made for streaming, and it only moved to broadcast due to the writers’ strike of 2023, which delayed a number of shows, so that CBS could fill up the schedule.
In the end, CBS put its ownNCISfranchise ahead of the fan-favorite seriesS.W.A.T.The network’s choice hurt the show, leading to an unsurprising and disappointing cancelation.
S.W.A.T.
Cast
S.W.A.T. (2017): This crime-action series follows a locally born S.W.A.T. lieutenant in Los Angeles who must navigate his loyalties between the streets and his duty to commanding a highly-trained unit responsible for resolving challenging crimes. The series explores themes of allegiance, justice, and responsibility within law enforcement.
