114 episodes: Netflix's action thriller is owning streaming
Netflix has just dropped a pitch‑perfect ‘Lioness’ replacement — and it’s already causing a stir on its first‑ever streaming run.
You know how Taylor Sheridan has been hoovering up every bit of attention when it comes to military action telly lately, what with Special Ops: Lioness storming Paramount+? Well, there’s another heavy-hitting military series now elbowing its way onto Netflix—and it’s not some scrappy upstart, either. SEAL Team, which wrapped up on Paramount back in 2024, has just landed on the world’s biggest streaming platform. Never mind quietly slipping in: it’s already climbing the viewing charts and threatening to bring in a whole new batch of fans, whether they missed it first time round or just fancy a rewatch.
SEAL Team first hit Netflix on 18 August 2026 after running for seven seasons and 114 episodes over on Paramount.
The Grit Behind the Action
So what’s the draw here beyond guns-and-glory stuff? SEAL Team kicked off back in 2017 under the watch of creator Benjamin Cavell. You’ve got David Boreanaz in the lead as Jason Hayes—think stoical SEAL commander, leading a unit into properly dangerous territory from Afghanistan to, presumably, whatever crumbling bit of the world pops up next on the Pentagon spreadsheet.
It’s not just the action, though; the series does spend proper time on the stuff telly usually fobs off or skirts around—trauma, marriage falling apart, the mess of returning to civilian life, and the psychological damage that piles up while doing this sort of job. They’ve even had ex-SEALs involved as consultants, which helps sell the day-to-day details and the camaraderie between the squad, aka Bravo Team. When disaster strikes these characters, you don’t get the sense it’s solely for the sake of a cheap plot twist—it feels earned, probably because the cast have some actual chemistry rather than just shouting at each other between explosions.
It’d be unfair to say Boreanaz is carrying this thing by himself. There’s a proper supporting lineup: Max Thieriot, Jessica Paré, Neil Brown Jr., A.J. Buckley, and Toni Trucks. All of them show up and do the work, which is more than you can say about plenty of ensemble shows getting churned out lately.
New Life on Netflix
Before its Netflix debut, SEAL Team had been camping out in Paramount’s Top 10 for ages—solidly popular, even though Sheridan’s Lioness has thoroughly owned the top slot since its latest return. But as of 18 August, all seven seasons hit Netflix at once, and it’s already started causing a stir. Within a week, the series shot up to the number ten spot on Netflix’s global charts, and number eight in the U.S. rankings. It’s almost inevitable it’ll only keep climbing, with new viewers discovering it for the first time and the already-converted taking another run through the highs and lows.
- David Boreanaz leads as Jason Hayes
- Supporting cast: Max Thieriot, Jessica Paré, Neil Brown Jr., A.J. Buckley, Toni Trucks
- Created by Benjamin Cavell, debuted 2017
- Seven seasons, 114 episodes
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85%
- IMDb: 7.9/10
- Netflix launch: 18 August 2026
For all its shifting homes—from CBS to Paramount+ to Netflix—the series keeps putting up numbers and doesn’t seem to be running out of steam just yet, especially now it’s on the world’s main streaming stage.