Tom Ellis’ 10-Part FBI Offshoot Hits No. 8 Days After Falling Off the U.S. Streaming Charts

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I’ve been really surprised to see how quickly people are discovering the new FBI spin-off! It stars Tom Ellis, and it originally aired on CBS back in February, but it’s really gaining traction now on Paramount+. I’m glad more people are checking it out!

According to FlixPatrol, the TV series CIA is back in the top 10 most-watched shows on Paramount+ in the United States, currently at number 8 as of March 6, 2026. The show initially gained traction after its late February debut, but quickly lost viewers, probably because critics didn’t rate it highly. CIA is created by Dick Wolf, known for Law & Order, and is part of the FBI universe. It follows a team of CIA officers who team up with a strict FBI agent in New York City to protect the country.

CIA’s Season Premiere Left Viewers Divided

The return of the CIA series to Paramount+’s most popular shows is encouraging, though the FBI spin-off had a short run. Currently, the show has a 63% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on reviews from just 8 critics. Viewers are more divided, giving it a 48% score from under 50 ratings. It’s unclear if the show’s recent streaming popularity will change how it’s received, now that more people are watching.

A popular aspect of the new show CIA is the return of familiar faces from the FBI universe. While Jay Ellis stars alongside Nick Gehlfuss, Natalee Linez, and Necar Zadegan, actors Jeremy Sisto, James Chen, Missy Peregrym, and Alana de la Garza have also appeared, reprising their roles from FBI.

Despite a somewhat slow beginning, the new series CIA has time to improve. Only two episodes have aired since its debut on February 23rd, with new ones released each Monday. Surprisingly, CIA‘s viewership is close to that of the popular FBI series – the first episode attracted 3.78 million U.S. viewers, while recent episodes of FBI (now in its eighth season) average around 4 million. The first season of CIA will have 10 episodes in total.

CIA Is the Latest Series in Dick Wolf’s FBI Universe

Although it’s not the first spin-off, CIA is the first series in the FBI franchise to explore a different government agency. The original FBI series premiered in 2018 and follows an elite unit of the New York field office as they protect the city. Its popularity led to two additional shows: Most Wanted (2020-2025) and International (2021-2025).

Now that both previous FBI spinoffs have been canceled, it’s unclear if CIA can revitalize the franchise. While Most Wanted and International each ran for several seasons, they also attracted significant audiences—Most Wanted averaged over 10 million viewers in its first season, and International exceeded 5 million. As CIA faces challenges gaining traction on both streaming and CBS, it remains to be seen whether the show will continue.

CIA is now streaming on Paramount+.

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2026-03-06 20:07