Ana Dumaraog is a Writer and Editor at Screen Rant, where she expertly covers Network TV offerings, among other things
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Tracker has suffered its first major defeat since its debut and CBS should be more concerned about it. It has only been two years since Justin Hartley made the transition from playing Jack and Rebecca Pearsons' firstborn in NBC's This Is Us to people's favorite survivalist, Colter Shaw. Clearly, the public has been drawn to him and his unusual job as a fresh take on network TV's tried and tested procedural format, as seen in its impressive viewership numbers.
When the 2025-2026 TV cycle started, Tracker maintained its place as the most-watched scripted show on traditional broadcast — an accolade that it has had since it burst onto the scene in the winter of 2024. It was a testament to how invested people were in Colter's arc, especially as the series has fully revamped its supporting cast lineup. No one had come close to its numbers. However, that all changed when the Taylor Sheridan-backed Marshals premiered in March 2026, as it not only gave Tracker a run for its money, it also knocked it out of the top spot in terms of ratings.
After a series of intense back-and-forth, Luke Grimes' Marshals has officially taken the number one spot from Hartley's series based on the overall numbers for the cycle. What makes this more interesting is that the neo-Western did that with only 13 episodes. Since Marshals is also on CBS, the network isn't particularly bothered by Tracker being dethroned as the most-watched show.
Justin Hartley's unexpected project for ABC officially marks the beginning of a major change for Tracker and Colter Shaw's future on CBS.
In fact, it is keeping its back-to-back tandem on Sunday nights. Marshals is still taking the prime 8pm ET spot that leads to Tracker's 9pm ET release, even though it would help Hartley's show to bounce back if it comes in earlier. For what it's worth, it was its original timeslot before being pushed back for the Yellowstone offshoot anyway. Looking at the ratings (via TV Series Finale), some of the lowest numbers for Tracker's entire run was from the latter half of season 3, when it moved to a later timeslot.
Granted that this isn't the first time it inhabited the 9pm ET block, and at one point, even airing at 10pm ET, but CBS keeping it there is not doing it any favors, as it risks the show further backsliding in terms of ratings. Sure, Tracker's numbers are still solid and if it's able to maintain that moving forward, it will be on the air for many more years to come. However, CBS shouldn't be sitting on their heels about this matter and must help it regain its momentum, even with Marshals doing really well.
This is not to say that CBS should not elevate Marshals. After all, these are all their shows, and it benefits them if they all perform. That said, it would be safe to say that being part of the well-established and highly-popular Yellowstone brand hasn't been a factor in the Grimes-led series' success. Despite the change in its title, its ties to the broader universe has been heavily utilized in its marketing.
News of Justin Hartley's new ABC project has created rumors about a dark future for Tracker, leaving millions of fans worried about the CBS series.
On the flip side, Tracker is a homegrown brand. It's a new IP that's based on a book, and is one of the very few hit shows on CBS that is not a spinoff or sequel. Because of this, Tracker has a bigger potential to grow as a fresh franchise for the network. The bigger universe that Marshals exists in are already scattered, the most recent one being Dutton Ranch on Paramount+. However, if CBS takes the time to take care of Tracker, it can expand it on network TV exclusively, the same way they did with the likes of NCIS, which has already birthed so many spinoffs. This is particularly important if the main show ends, as it means that they can still capitalize on its success with offshoots.
Tracker follows lone-wolf survivalist Colter Shaw as he navigates the country as a reward seeker. Utilizing his expert tracking skills, he aids private citizens and law enforcement in solving various mysteries while grappling with issues from his fractured family.
