S.W.A.T. Heads to Netflix, Aiming to Prove CBS Was Wrong to Cancel It
CBS canceled SWAT (for the third time) in March 2025, and while the decision was controversial at the time, it’s about to become even more divisive. The police procedural TV series premiered in 2017 and ultimately ran for eight seasons and 163 episodes. It faced death a handful of times, but SWAT proved to be the little show that could.
CBS canceled SWAT for the first time in May 2023, only for the decision to be reversed a few days later. The network then ordered a seventh and final season of the action drama. However, the executives changed their minds once again and greenlit an eighth season. So, when SWAT got canceled in 2025, it was for the third and seemingly last time.
SWAT’s Final Season Will Almost Certainly See A Huge Boost When It Comes To Netflix
Netflix Is Finally Adding SWAT Season 8 To Its Catalog
Four months after SWAT ended, Netflix is adding its eighth and final season to its library on Monday, September 15. In all its totality, CBS’ cop show will finally have a streaming home, as its first seven seasons are already available on Netflix. With this exciting development comes the almost guarantee that the show will experience a significant boost on the streaming platform.
SWAT is already a popular TV series. So, knowing that and the fact that network shows that come to streaming historically receive a huge increase in viewership, SWAT will likely start trending when season 8 debuts on Netflix. It’s all but certain.
SWAT Continuing To Grow Its Audience After So Many Years Makes CBS’ Decision To Cancel It Seem Even Worse
SWAT Still Has Life
With the likelihood of new fans discovering SWAT and old fans rewatching it on Netflix, it’s clear that the police procedural will continue growing its audience even after it has ended. So, if and when it starts trending, CBS’ cancellation of SWAT is bound to look more short-sighted. It also doesn’t help that a spinoff with Shemar Moore is in the works.
The upcoming spinoff, SWAT Exiles, will feature Moore reprising his role as Hondo. In it, his character will come out of retirement to lead a new SWAT unit made up of newbies. A recent SWAT Exiles update reveals that production will begin in mid-September, when season 8 is supposed to come to Netflix.
However, Sony still hasn’t found a home for the spinoff. It won’t be CBS for obvious reasons. Perhaps Netflix can be a consideration, though, depending on how well season 8 performs on the streaming service. If that happens, CBS should be kicking itself for canceling SWAT.