NCIS New York Premiere: LL Cool J’s Salary, Scott Caan and the Cast’s Net Worth

NCIS New York premieres tonight, Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at 9/8c on CBS, and it brings back one of the best-paid actors in network television. LL Cool J returns as Senior Special Agent Sam Hanna, the character he played for 14 seasons on NCIS: Los Angeles, this time paired with Scott Caan in a new field office run by Jennifer Beals. The show slots in between NCIS and NCIS: Origins on Tuesday nights and streams on Paramount+.

For CBS, it is the latest bet on the most valuable procedural franchise on American TV. For LL Cool J, it is another lead role in a franchise that has already paid him handsomely. Here is what is happening tonight and what the money looks like.

What Happens in the NCIS New York Premiere

The new series follows Sam Hanna as he heads home to New York City and joins the local NCIS team. He is partnered with Special Agent Nick Schaeffer, played by Scott Caan, under Robyn Wells, the office’s leader, played by Jennifer Beals. Jacqueline Byers, Shane Harper and Devin Druid round out the team as agents Addison “Addy” Ross and Wyatt Sellers and technical operator Sean Sullivan.

Byron Balasco is the showrunner, and the series is produced by CBS Studios with R. Scott Gemmill Productions and Balasco Productions. CBS announced the spinoff on April 15, 2026, after LL Cool J had already reappeared as Hanna in a recurring guest run on NCIS: Hawai’i, which kept the character alive after Los Angeles ended. The first two episodes are titled “Pilot” and “Family Business.”

NCIS New York: Key Facts and Figures

What NCIS New York Means for the Money

Start with the star. According to Celebrity Net Worth, LL Cool J earned roughly $350,000 per episode at the peak of NCIS: Los Angeles, which works out to about $8.4 million for a full season. CBS has never confirmed that figure, and older reports put his early salary closer to $150,000 an episode, but the direction is clear. After more than 300 episodes as Sam Hanna, he is negotiating from a position very few actors on broadcast TV ever reach.

His contract for NCIS New York has not been made public. As the face of the show and a returning franchise lead, it would be a surprise if his per-episode fee came in below what he was paid in Los Angeles, and he may also hold a producer credit. Treat any specific number you see online as a guess until CBS or the trades report it.

Then there is the network. The NCIS brand is one of the few things on linear TV that still reliably pulls a mass audience, and every spinoff adds more hours of content that can be sold abroad and streamed on Paramount+. That matters more than ever right now, because CBS and Paramount+ sit inside Paramount, which is closing its roughly $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. As CNBC reported, David Ellison has named Ynon Kreiz co-CEO to run day-to-day operations of the combined company. Proven franchises like NCIS are exactly the assets new management leans on. We covered the other side of that merger yesterday in our look at Sweet Deceit on Food Network.

The Stars of NCIS New York and Their Net Worth

LL Cool J

Born James Todd Smith on January 14, 1968, in Bay Shore, New York, LL Cool J was one of Def Jam’s first stars, with albums like Radio and Bigger and Deffer, and he has won two Grammy Awards. He joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. Beyond acting, he built Rock the Bells, which started as a SiriusXM radio channel and grew into a media brand that raised $8 million in 2021 and another $15 million in 2023. He has been married to Simone Johnson since 1995, and the couple have four children: Najee, Italia, Samaria and Nina. Celebrity Net Worth puts his fortune at $130 million.

Scott Caan

Caan, the son of the late James Caan, spent ten seasons as Danny “Danno” Williams on CBS’s Hawaii Five-0, so he knows exactly how lucrative a long-running CBS procedural can be. Reports of his Five-0 pay range from about $150,000 to $200,000 per episode, and net worth estimates vary widely, from the low tens of millions upward. NCIS New York gives him a second shot at a long CBS run.

Jennifer Beals

Beals became famous with Flashdance in 1983 and later led The L Word for six seasons on Showtime, plus its 2019 sequel. Her net worth is usually estimated in the mid-teens of millions, though no estimate is solid enough to quote with confidence. Playing the boss of the New York office gives the show a veteran lead who can carry episodes on her own.

For another actor who found a second act on network TV, see Terry Crews’s net worth, which owes far more to TV hosting and sitcom work than to his NFL career. And for how talent pay works on a broadcast hit, our breakdown of The Voice season 30 coach salaries is a useful comparison.

NCIS New York: How to Watch

NCIS New York airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on CBS, right after NCIS and before NCIS: Origins, which makes Tuesday a three-show NCIS night. Episodes stream on Paramount+.

FAQs About NCIS New York

When does NCIS New York premiere?

NCIS New York premieres on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at 9/8c on CBS, and streams on Paramount+.

Is LL Cool J playing Sam Hanna again?

Yes. He reprises Sam Hanna from NCIS: Los Angeles, now working out of the New York field office.

How much does LL Cool J make per episode?

His NCIS New York salary has not been disclosed. Celebrity Net Worth says he earned about $350,000 per episode at the peak of NCIS: Los Angeles.

What is LL Cool J’s net worth?

Celebrity Net Worth estimates LL Cool J’s net worth at $130 million, built from music, acting, Rock the Bells and other business ventures.

The Bottom Line

NCIS New York is a low-risk, high-reward move for CBS: a proven franchise, a lead with 14 years of loyal viewers and a co-star who already carried a ten-season CBS hit. For LL Cool J, already worth about $130 million, it means another steady stream of one of the best per-episode paychecks on broadcast TV. If tonight’s premiere holds the NCIS audience, expect the New York office to stay open for years, and expect the franchise to remain one of Paramount’s most valuable assets as it absorbs Warner Bros. Discovery.