As the season 3 finale of NCIS: Sydney approaches, the crime thriller is proving to be a streaming powerhouse on Paramount+. The Australian spin-off, which first premiered in 2023, has climbed back into the global top 10, currently sitting at #10 on Paramount+'s worldwide TV chart. With a two-part finale set to air next week, the show is drawing in viewers with its fresh take on the long-running franchise.
The series follows NCIS agents Michelle Mackey (Olivia Swann) and DeShawn Jackson (Sean Sagar) as they team up with Australian Federal Police officers to solve crimes tied to the U.S. Navy. Season 3, which debuted in October 2025, has taken the team to Antarctica and introduced a new villainous group called The Collective—a military faction involved in drug smuggling that ties directly into Mackey's past court-martial in Afghanistan. The finale promises FBI involvement and a high-stakes showdown.
This success is part of a broader trend of crime dramas finding new life on streaming platforms. For example, Prime Video's 'Bosch' became the gold standard for modern crime dramas, proving that audiences crave gritty, character-driven storytelling. Similarly, NCIS: Sydney has struck a chord by blending the franchise's familiar procedural formula with Australian flair and a compelling new antagonist.
The show's streaming performance is impressive: when it debuted in November 2023, it was reported as the most-streamed CBS network premiere ever on Paramount+, with nearly 10 million views. While Season 1 earned a 73% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes (though a low 33% audience score), the series has maintained a steady 6.2-star rating on IMDb. Notably, Season 3's episodes 12 and 13 are tied as the highest-rated episodes of the entire series at 8.4 stars each.
Australian critics have praised the show for not reinventing the wheel but for adding local flavor and strong chemistry between leads Todd Lasance and Olivia Swann. The series has been greenlit for a fourth season, ensuring that fans will have more adventures down under.
For those looking for more crime thrillers to binge, Stanley Tucci's spy thriller leads 3 Prime Video shows to binge this weekend, offering another dose of suspense. Meanwhile, Tom Cruise's 'Jack Reacher' action thriller is surging on Paramount+, proving the platform is a hub for adrenaline-pumping entertainment.
All three seasons of NCIS: Sydney are available to stream on Paramount+. New episodes air Fridays on CBS.
