NBCUniversal’s cable channel USA Network has cancelled spy series Covert Affairs after five seasons.

The US net cited low ratings as the reason behind axing the Piper Perabo-fronted drama, which NBCUniversal International Television Distribution sells on the global market.

While season one rated well in 2010 ­– coming close to five million viewers on debut – season five’s final brought in just 1.6 million.

The Universal Cable Productions-coproduced Covert Affairs follows Perabo (Coyote Ugly) as a young CIA operative that goes undercover with the help of a blind special ops agent.