ION Lands Broadcast Syndication Rights for 'Blue Bloods'

CBS drama Blue Bloods is heading to syndication.

ION, which already carries fellow CBS series Criminal Minds, will begin airing Blue Bloods in primetime this fall.

CBS is also finalizing a deal with WGN America for cable syndication rights to the series.

The agreement comes on the heels of WGN America's acquisition of off-network rights for fellow CBS drama Elementary, for which the cable network is paying a reported record-breaking $3 million per episode. CBS also last week extended its agreement with Amazon to license shows to the tech company's Prime Instant Video service.

Last Friday's episode of Blue Bloods, now in its fourth season, drew a 1.6 Nielsen rating among adults 18-49, and 12.79 million total viewers live-plus-same day—the most since its series premiere.