Why is Blue Bloods Ending after Season 14? Real Reason Will Rattle Tom Selleck Fans

After 14 wonderful seasons, fans of the hit TV show Blue Bloods are left stunned by the news that the beloved CBS police procedural drama show is coming to an end after more than a decade of broadcasting. According to the report, the 14th season, which stars Tom Selleck, Donnie Wahlberg, Will Estes, Bridget Moynahan, and Vanessa Ray, will be divided into two installments with a total of 18 episodes.

Season 14’s first part of 10 episodes has already premiered on February 16; the remaining eight episodes, or the second half of the season, will air in the fall of 2024. The highly-rated CBS program has enjoyed great success with American audiences for the past fifteen years, starting with its first season in 2010 and ending with a stunning fourteenth season that aired on February 16th, 2024.

Why, then, is it coming to an end? Are budget and money issues to blame?

Tom Selleck’s Blue Bloods on CBS Will Conclude With 14th Season

The fourteenth season of Blue Bloods will be its last. Playing New York Police Commissioner Frank Reagan for many years, Tom Selleck has fully embraced the role. The actor discussed why he thought Blue Bloods still had the potential to run for several seasons in light of the news that this would be the final season.

Michigan-born actor, 79, said in a statement (via PEOPLE):

“For the past 13 years it has been an honor and a privilege to work on a show that not only celebrates the men and women who protect and serve in New York City, but also displayed the importance of family.”

It has been his absolute “dream” to work with these amazing “actors, writers, producers, directors”, and crew, and he is honored to have been a part of this amazing group for over “275 episodes”. Selleck went on:

“Thank you to CBS Studios and CBS Network for their steadfast support and we offer heartfelt gratitude to the fans who gathered with us for dinner every Friday night.”

Blue Bloods will always remain a priceless piece of CBS’s legacy. With an incredibly loyal fan base, it became a cornerstone of the winning lineup and ruled Friday nights with an unparalleled level of dominance since its debut. 

Blue Bloods: The Real Reason Tom Selleck’s Show is Ending After Season 14

Apparently, it all comes down to good old-fashioned money. Indeed, it is true. It seems that the producers and network managers were unable to agree on the budget for the show, and negotiations fell through. And when it comes to a series such as Blue Bloods, which has a pretty hefty cast and crew, budget cuts can be a real deal-breaker.

As Deadline extensively reported earlier last year, the renewal of Blue Bloods in March came after tough negotiations in which CBS demanded large budget cuts (twenty-five percent for above-the-line talent, including actors) in response to growing financial scrutiny in the media industry and a drive to keep production costs under control.

The show must go on and hundreds of crew members and other support staff must continue to work, so in the end, the producers and cast decided to accept the pay cuts. We learned from Forbes that there was already an assumption when the show was renewed in March that Season 14 would be its final one.

After the WGA strike ended, the Blue Bloods writers got back together in early October and began drafting what could be the show’s last season. With the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike, which solidified the decision to end Blue Bloods, came the notion to split the order into two halves and figure out how big it would be.

Well, with 14 seasons under its belt, Blue Bloods ranks among the top ten longest-running CBS scripted series ever. Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, Will Estes, Len Cariou, Marisa Ramirez, and Vanessa Ray are among the cast members besides Tom Selleck. 

Paramount Plus offers streaming for Blue Bloods.