Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Confirmed to End After Season 2

Less than two weeks after its Season 1 finale aired on March 12, Paramount+ confirmed that Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will end after its upcoming second season. The decision followed an evaluation of the show's audience performance; across its 10-episode first season, it failed to rank on Nielsen's weekly Top 10 streaming viewership charts.

CBS Studios and Paramount+ issued a joint statement praising the production while confirming Season 2 would be its last. "We're incredibly proud of the ambition, passion, and creativity that went into bringing Star Trek: Starfleet Academy to life," the companies said. "The series introduced audiences to a bold new group of characters, welcomed familiar faces, and expanded the Star Trek universe in exciting new ways." The statement named showrunners Alex Kurtzman, Noga Landau, and Gaia Violo among those who "pushed storytelling boundaries in the spirit of Gene Roddenberry's vision," and said the companies look forward to sharing the "second and final season with everyone."

Season 2 had already been ordered prior to the show's premiere and recently wrapped production. The second season is expected to air sometime in 2027.

The series proved to be a polarizing entry in the Trek canon. Many critics celebrated its focus on a younger generation and coming-of-age themes, while on social media it became a frequent target of mockery from those who labeled it too "woke." On Rotten Tomatoes, the show earned an 87 percent critics score but a "dismal 51 percent audience score," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Variety also learned from a source that Kurtzman is in talks with CBS Studios for a new deal to continue working on shows for the company. The corporate statement did not cite audience metrics as a reason for the cancellation, though trade reporting from Variety and The Hollywood Reporter pointed directly to the Nielsen performance as the decisive factor.

The cancellation leaves the broader Star Trek television universe in a fragile state. There are currently no Star Trek TV shows in production, though two previously filmed seasons of Strange New Worlds have yet to air. With both Starfleet Academy and Strange New Worlds expected to conclude in 2027, speculation has emerged that the franchise may face a hiatus before its next movie or television iteration launches. There are also concerns that Star Trek under Paramount's Skydance ownership may skew away from Gene Roddenberry's progressive vision to reflect the political positions of CEO David Ellison and his father, Larry Ellison. Separately, Paramount has been reported to be developing a new film to reinvigorate the franchise following the Skydance acquisition, though it is not the long-awaited Star Trek 4.