S.W.A.T. is not ending after all. Beating the odds a second time, the action drama has been renewed for the 2024-25 season, with Shemar Moore set to continue as star and executive producer. I hear Season 8 will consist of 22 episodes.
The news comes a year after S.W.A.T. was canceled before the decision was dramatically reversed a couple of days later with a renewal for a seventh and final season. This time, the network is not boxing itself in and leaving the door open to more by not branding 8 as the series’ final season.
The surprise renewal, which sources said came down pretty quickly over the last couple of days, also comes as S.W.A.T is wrapping production on its seventh season. Moore hinted at the drama not necessarily ending by posting set photos yesterday with the caption “Season 7 finale will be [fire emoji],” not referring to the episode as series finale.
According to sources, the finale, which is still filming, was written as a satisfying series finale but also perfectly sets the show for another season, so no last-minute changes are being made in light of the renewal.
I hear talks about a Season 8 of S.W.A.T. licked off earlier this week, with CBS asking Sony Pictures Television, which is producing in association with CBS Studios, for a license fee reduction, a typical move in the current economic environment.
As Deadline has reported, Sony last year was not willing to take another S.W.A.T. renewal at a flat license fee, and CBS eventually went up on the license fee but the offer came with a cut of the order, which would’ve pushed up the per-episode budget even higher and further hurt the show’s financials. It led to Sony passing, and CBS cancelling the show before the two sides went back and worked things out.
It is unclear whether Sony TV agreed to a reduced license fee or it remained flat this year but the return to a 22-episode order, up from 13 this season, helped seal the deal as the large season helps with cost amortization.
As to what prompted CBS’ decision to extend S.W.A.T.’s run, like with the un-cancelation last year, it was based on the series’ continuing ratings strength on both linear and streaming. The series is a time period winner in viewers and a top 20 primetime broadcast drama, ranking #17 overall season to date with 6.1 million in Nielsen Most Current data. With live +35-day multi-platform viewing, S.W.A.T. delivers 8.8 million viewers an episode and is up +11% year over year.
Additionally, S.W.A.T. has remained a strong international seller, generating revenue for CBS Studios through its co-production deal with lead studio Sony TV.
“Here at CBS, we always ‘stay liquid’ and love a good dramatic twist, especially when it leads to an eighth season of S.W.A.T.!,” said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment. “The show continues to resonate with viewers thanks to our talented cast led by Shemar Moore and our amazing writers and producers who keep the show relevant and action-packed. We’re very pleased to renew it again and incredibly grateful to our partners at Sony, CBS Studios and Shemar for working so closely with us to bring it back for next season.”
Moore, Jay Harrington, David Lim, Patrick St. Esprit, Rochelle Aytes and Anna Enger Ritch star. Shawn Ryan, Andrew Dettmann, Justin Lin, Neal H. Moritz, Marney Hochman, Pavun Shetty, Billy Gierhart, Shemar Moore and James Scura serve as executive producers.
“Led by the unstoppable Shemar Moore, S.W.A.T. has captivated viewers since its premiere in 2017, and with every renewal, we are amazed at how passionate and dedicated the fans of this show are,” said Katherine Pope, president of Sony Pictures Television Studios. “Thank you to Amy Reisenbach and our partners at CBS for continuing to believe in the show and the incredible work of the cast and crew. Everyone here at Sony Pictures Television is so proud of the world that Shawn, Aaron, Andy and the entire S.W.A.T. team have created, and we congratulate them on coming back for another year. Roll SWAT!”
Here is reaction to the renewal from S.W.A.T.’s key creative auspices.
“It’s a privilege to get to deliver more S.W.A.T. stories to our incredible fans. This season eight pickup is a testament to our showrunner Andy Dettmann, Shemar Moore, the rest of our talented cast and our dedicated crew who continue to produce television that resonates with so many people. We’re grateful to CBS, Sony Pictures Television and CBS Studios for the opportunity.”
– Shawn Ryan, executive producer and co-showrunner
“All of us at S.W.A.T. are thrilled by the news of a season eight. Shemar and I had many conversations throughout the production of season seven, confident that if we continued to tell great stories punctuated by SWAT’s signature action, our amazing fans would stay with us, giving us a good shot at another season. At the end of the day, this is the well-deserved payoff for all the time, energy and effort put in by an incredible cast and crew working with the constant support of our partners at Sony Pictures Television and everyone at CBS. We look forward to an exciting season eight.”
– Andrew Dettmann, co-showrunner and executive producer
“S.W.A.T. IS BACK! BELIEVE IN MIRACLES! I am so proud of this show and the people and variables it has taken to make this show what it is and has become. I am so grateful to the fans around the world who have supported, watched, enjoyed and rooted for S.W.A.T.! It is entirely because of this support that S.W.A.T. will continue to shine! This is still a dream job for me … I love my S.W.A.T. crew, cast and writers and producers – we have made an incredible, fun, exciting, provocative and heartwarming show for the world to enjoy. Thank you to CBS and SONY for believing in S.W.A.T. and giving us this opportunity to shine!”
– Shemar Moore, star and executive producer.