‘Boston Blue’ Goes Global: Donnie Wahlberg’s ‘Blue Bloods’ Spinoff Sells To Over 100 Markets

EXCLUSIVE: Detectives Danny Reagan and Lena Silver will be playing the blues around the world after a raft of international buyers bought Boston Blue. The show has its world premiere in Cannes at the MIPCOM market last week. Following the international launch it has sold into over 100 markets, Deadline can reveal.

Donnie Wahlberg reprises his role as Reagan in the Blue Bloods offshoot. His character relocates from NYC to Boston in the series, and Sonequa Martin-Green is his new partner, Lena Silver. The show launched on CBS in the U.S. on October 17 and episodes stream on Paramount+ the day after playing on linear.

The roster of international buyers snapping up the show includes AXN Asia and Coupang Play in Korea. M-Net has acquired it for Africa and Sky for New Zealand. In Europe, Boston Blue has landed at pay-TV giant Sky in German-speaking territories. It is also headed to Play Media in Belgium, Cosmote TV in Greece, Síminn in Iceland and beIN in Cyprus and Turkey. Elsewhere, it will be on CTV and in Australia on Paramount+.

Internationally, the procedural format has enduring appeal so hopes were high for Boston Blue, especially as its forebear, Blue Bloods, had established a strong fanbase globally. Quickly getting to 100 territories, however, is at the top end of expectations. The show is sold by Paramount Global Content Distribution, which cut the international deals.

Wahlberg is an exec producer on the series. In Cannes he talked up the possibility of a Blue Bloods–Boston Blue franchise. CBS certainly has form here, with NCIS and other procedurals spawning numerous spinoffs. International sales are key to getting these shows funded and making them profitable and that responsibility falls to Lisa Kramer’s PGCD division.

As well as Wahlberg and Martin-Green, the Boston Blue cast includes Maggie Lawson, Marcus Scribner, Mika Amons, Gloria Reuben and Ernie Hudson. The series is produced by CBS Studios in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television. Brandon Sonnier and Brandon Margolis are showrunners and exec producers. Bruckheimer, Anthony Hemingway, KristieAnne Reed and Wahlberg are also EPs.

Meanwhile, we hear more international deals are in the works for Boston Blue.