One of the most gratifying aspects for “NCIS” fans over the years has been witnessing the evolving romance between Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva David (Cote de Pablo). This duo remains a fan favorite, and although they exited the original series, they are now starring in their own spinoff called “NCIS: Tony & Ziva.” Some fans might feel let down that the series will be available exclusively on Paramount+ rather than CBS, but there’s a specific reason for this separation from other franchise entries.

CBS president and CEO, George Cheeks, explained to Vulture that the “Weatherly project” seemed more fitting as a serialized streaming show. He highlighted their effort to broaden the “NCIS” brand, similar to what was done with “Criminal Minds” on Paramount+. The aim is to assess where each creative project should ideally be presented. Cheeks compared “Tony & Ziva” to another spinoff, “NCIS: Origins,” following a young Gibbs (Austin Stowell) starting his career. He noted “Origins” aligns more with traditional network procedurals, while “Tony & Ziva” is designed for the streaming model.

Cheeks also mentioned “Criminal Minds,” which transitioned from CBS to Paramount+ with a new title, “Criminal Minds: Evolution.” This raises the question: will audiences switch between CBS and Paramount+ for the entire “NCIS” experience?

A more skeptical view of placing “NCIS: Tony & Ziva” on Paramount+ suggests it might be a strategy to attract new subscribers. While the platform is the current streaming home for all things “NCIS,” a fresh original series might entice more viewers to subscribe. Regardless, there’s uncertainty regarding whether audiences will be informed or interested in following a full serialized series about these characters.

“NCIS: Origins” debuted on CBS in October 2024 to a notable 5.028 million viewers, but its audience declined, with the Season 1 finale “Cecilia” drawing 3.865 million viewers. It was sufficient for a second season renewal, but it still lagged behind the main “NCIS,” which recorded 5.589 million viewers for its Season 22 finale. Given that “Tony & Ziva” is on a different platform—meaning some fans might not even know it’s airing—there’s a risk it may experience significantly lower viewership.

However, since “Tony & Ziva” is streaming on Paramount+, it might not need to match the same audience numbers and could explore darker themes than “NCIS.” Although the CBS series tackles dark topics, “Tony & Ziva” could delve deeper, which might not attract the same audience. While Looper described “NCIS: Tony & Ziva” as “bad fan fiction” in its review, viewers will have the chance to form their own opinions when the show debuts on Paramount+ on September 4.