USA Lands Off Network Rights To NCIS: Los Angeles

USA Network has bought the off-network syndication to the freshman drama NCIS: Los Angeles. USA has agreed to pay CBS Television Distribution around $2.5 million per episode for the rights to NCIS: Los Angeles, which will be available in fall 2013. As part of the deal, USA will be able to start airing weekly repeats of the show’s first season starting in September 2011. The deal comes after just seven episodes of NCIS: Los Angeles have run on CBS.

USA obviously had the upper edge given that it airs the original NCIS in off-net to blockbuster ratings. The show is currently No. 1 among off-network series on cable, averaging 3.5 million total viewers. USA paid around $1 million per episode for NCIS. USA viewers have even previously seen NCIS: Los Angeles on the channel. As part of its marketing push for the show, CBS this summer gave USA a special early run of last year’s NCIS two-parter that introduced NCIS: Los Angeles stars Chris O’Donnell and LL Cool J.

The price paid by USA for NCIS: Los Angeles is one of the highest ever for an off-network hour. The record is held by The Sopranos, for which A&E shelled out $2.5 million. Other top earners include CSI: NY, which was purchased by Spike TV for just more than $2 million an episode. CBS TV Studios produces NCIS: Los Angeles, which comes from executive producers Shane Brennan and R. Scott Gemmill.