AceShowbiz - Marshals has made a remarkable debut on CBS, becoming the network’s most-watched scripted series premiere, surpassing the popular series Tracker starring Justin Hartley. The premiere episode, which aired on Sunday, March 1, drew an impressive 9.52 million viewers, marking the highest new scripted series launch on CBS without a football lead-in since 2018.

This exceptional viewership also crowned Marshals as the No. 1 series premiere of the 2025-26 broadcast season. CBS’s Sunday evening lineup demonstrated strong numbers overall, with 60 Minutes attracting 7.21 million viewers, Marshals leading with 9.52 million, followed closely by Tracker with 8.29 million, and the show Watson bringing in 4 million viewers.

The three CBS programs—Marshals, Tracker, and 60 Minutes—secured the top three spots in weekly TV rankings. Tracker maintained a strong second place, rising from its fall season averages and staying firmly in the spotlight alongside the new Yellowstone spinoff.

Justin Hartley has proven his strong appeal with the success of Tracker, which is based on Jeffery Deaver’s novel The Never Game. The series follows survivalist Colter, portrayed by Hartley, as he travels the country assisting people and law enforcement with complex mysteries. Since its February 2024 premiere, Tracker has consistently delivered impressive ratings and critical acclaim for CBS.

Upon its debut, Tracker became the most-watched broadcast premiere in three years, dethroning the previous record held by the final episode of NCIS starring Mark Harmon in September 2021. By December 2024, CBS announced that Tracker averaged 18.2 million viewers per episode across Paramount+ and broadcast platforms, highlighting its widespread popularity.

The show returned for its second season later in 2024, bringing in 8.3 million viewers for its premiere—an increase of nearly 10 percent compared to the first season finale. This season two premiere was the highest audience count since the series initially launched after the Super Bowl. For the 2023-24 TV season, Tracker stood as the most-watched entertainment series and the No. 1 show since Survivor premiered in 2000. Variety reported that 15 of the top 100 most-watched primetime telecasts of 2024 featured Tracker, and in 2025, the show secured 19 episodes in the top 100 telecasts, outperforming all programs except the NFL.

The success of Marshals builds on the popularity of the Yellowstone franchise, which has spawned six spinoffs since its 2018 debut on Paramount Network. The original series centers on the Dutton family, owners of the largest contiguous ranch in the United States. While the franchise has experienced some delays, it continues to expand its storytelling universe.

Marshals serves as a spinoff of Yellowstone, which aired from 2018 to 2024. The show follows Kayce, played by Luke Grimes, a former U.S. Navy SEAL who became the new owner and operator of the Yellowstone Ranch. Although Kayce sold the ranch by the series finale, the spinoff continues to explore his story and the legacy of the family.

Before the premiere, Grimes acknowledged some skepticism about Kayce’s role as the lead of a spinoff. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in February, he expressed, “I was like, ‘If you take a poll of who people want to have a spinoff, I don’t know if Kayce would be top of that list. I think there’s other characters that they would rather see.’”

This doubt fueled Grimes to deliver a compelling performance. He stated, “So there was a fire under me. Like, it has to be good. If it’s not good, I’d rather not do it. We tried really hard to make sure that any of the original Yellowstone fans would have something to grasp onto.” He also emphasized the importance of making Marshals accessible for new viewers: “But if you’d never seen Yellowstone, we wanted this show to make sense on its own as well. I think we accomplished that as much as we possibly could.”

Marshals airs on CBS Sundays at 8 p.m. ET, with Tracker following at 9 p.m. ET, continuing CBS’s strong Sunday night lineup of engaging dramas that keep audiences coming back week after week.