Tracker tops 2024 TV ratings with 15 episodes among the 100 most-watched telecasts
57th Monte Carlo TV Festival : Day 2
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Highlight of the story: Tracker follows Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley), a survivalist who travels the country solving complex mysteries for individuals and law enforcement. Based on Jeffery Deaver’s novel The Never Game, Shaw’s journey reveals his troubled past and how it shaped his lone-wolf mentality and strong sense of justice. As he tackles new cases, Shaw offers viewers a thrilling mix of mystery, suspense, and character depth. The series airs on CBS and streams on Paramount+.
With over a dozen Tracker episodes securing spots on the year’s most-watched telecasts, Justin Hartley’s star power is undeniable.
In Variety’s annual ranking of the top 100 most-watched primetime broadcasts, sports dominated, with 75 slots filled by NFL games and the Paris Summer Olympics. But in the world of scripted television, Tracker stood out, earning 15 spots—more than any show except the NFL and the Olympics. Other top performers included four editions of 60 Minutes and the two-part finale of Young Sheldon.
NBC led the list with 38 slots, thanks to Sunday Night Football and Olympic coverage. CBS followed with 25 slots, while ABC and Prime Video each secured 10, Fox had nine, and ESPN earned five.
Tracker's success is no accident, as the show has consistently topped the ratings. The season 2 premiere, which aired in October, brought in 8.3 million viewers, a nearly 10% increase from the season 1 finale. This episode also marked the series’ highest viewership since its debut in February following the Super Bowl.
Tracker's premiere was the most-watched broadcast debut since the final episode of NCIS with Mark Harmon in September 2021. The show even outperformed CBS’ reimagined Matlock reboot, which attracted 7.7 million viewers during its September sneak peek.
CBS recently reported that Tracker averages 18.2 million viewers per episode across both Paramount+ and broadcast, while Matlock follows with 16.9 million.
Based on Jeffery Deaver’s novel The Never Game, Tracker follows Colter Shaw (Hartley), a survivalist who travels the country helping solve a variety of mysteries for individuals and law enforcement. As the series progresses, viewers learn more about Colter’s past and how it shaped his solitary, “lone wolf” nature.
Hartley, 47, serves as both the lead and an executive producer alongside This Is Us producer Ken Olin. He has shared his excitement about bringing the show to life, both in front of and behind the camera. “It’s been a long time coming. Ken Olin and I built this show from the ground up years ago, before This Is Us even finished filming,” Hartley said in a February interview with Entertainment Tonight. “We’ve been through a pandemic, a strike, and so much more. It’s a labor of love, and I’m really proud of it. I’m just happy for people to finally see it.”
Hartley emphasized his goal to make Colter Shaw relatable to all audiences, telling The Hollywood Reporter the same month, “It’s all about entertainment. I want people to be entertained, first and foremost. Colter Shaw isn’t politically driven—he’s a businessman who makes his living by taking on cases. He’s motivated by doing the right thing, and we explore where that comes from in his past.”
Tracker returns to CBS on Sunday, February 16, at 8 p.m. ET, with new episodes available for streaming the following day on Paramount+.
In Variety’s annual ranking of the top 100 most-watched primetime broadcasts, sports dominated, with 75 slots filled by NFL games and the Paris Summer Olympics. But in the world of scripted television, Tracker stood out, earning 15 spots—more than any show except the NFL and the Olympics. Other top performers included four editions of 60 Minutes and the two-part finale of Young Sheldon.
NBC led the list with 38 slots, thanks to Sunday Night Football and Olympic coverage. CBS followed with 25 slots, while ABC and Prime Video each secured 10, Fox had nine, and ESPN earned five.
Tracker's success is no accident, as the show has consistently topped the ratings. The season 2 premiere, which aired in October, brought in 8.3 million viewers, a nearly 10% increase from the season 1 finale. This episode also marked the series’ highest viewership since its debut in February following the Super Bowl.
Tracker's premiere was the most-watched broadcast debut since the final episode of NCIS with Mark Harmon in September 2021. The show even outperformed CBS’ reimagined Matlock reboot, which attracted 7.7 million viewers during its September sneak peek.
CBS recently reported that Tracker averages 18.2 million viewers per episode across both Paramount+ and broadcast, while Matlock follows with 16.9 million.
Based on Jeffery Deaver’s novel The Never Game, Tracker follows Colter Shaw (Hartley), a survivalist who travels the country helping solve a variety of mysteries for individuals and law enforcement. As the series progresses, viewers learn more about Colter’s past and how it shaped his solitary, “lone wolf” nature.
Hartley, 47, serves as both the lead and an executive producer alongside This Is Us producer Ken Olin. He has shared his excitement about bringing the show to life, both in front of and behind the camera. “It’s been a long time coming. Ken Olin and I built this show from the ground up years ago, before This Is Us even finished filming,” Hartley said in a February interview with Entertainment Tonight. “We’ve been through a pandemic, a strike, and so much more. It’s a labor of love, and I’m really proud of it. I’m just happy for people to finally see it.”
Hartley emphasized his goal to make Colter Shaw relatable to all audiences, telling The Hollywood Reporter the same month, “It’s all about entertainment. I want people to be entertained, first and foremost. Colter Shaw isn’t politically driven—he’s a businessman who makes his living by taking on cases. He’s motivated by doing the right thing, and we explore where that comes from in his past.”
Tracker returns to CBS on Sunday, February 16, at 8 p.m. ET, with new episodes available for streaming the following day on Paramount+.