Tracker became an immediate hit for CBS when it premiered early in the 2024 TV schedule, with Justin Hartley quickly proving himself as a leading man after the end of his time as one of the Pearsons of This Is Us. There was no saying whether the drama would be able to sustain its stellar ratings into its second season, though, especially when the network changed the time slot in which it airs. Now, ahead of the 2025 TV schedule picking up, the numbers are in to show that some of CBS’ biggest shows dipped in the ratings… but Tracker wasn’t one of them.
Justin Hartley’s drama ranks as broadcast television’s most-watched scripted series and #1 rated drama again, according to TVLine, citing the total size of the audience after seven days of viewing (Live+7) and the rating in the 18-49 age demographic. Tracker‘s Live+7 average audience for Season 2 so far is 11.4 million viewers, with a rating of 0.82. Now, even if you can’t make heads or tails of those numbers, it’s worth noting that Tracker‘s audience grew by 6% from Season 1 after changing Sunday time slots to air at 8 p.m. ET ahead of The Equalizer instead of after. The Equalizer dropped by 18% with the time slot swap.
No sophomore slump for Justin Hartley! While it might not seem surprising that a show that was a smash hit in Season 1 continues to be a smash hit in Season 2, several others of CBS’ heavy hitters experienced ratings drops in the fall portion of the 2024-2025 TV schedule. NCIS is down 21% from last season despite being a network mainstay for more than two decades now, while FBI: Most Wanted and Max Thieriot‘s Fire Country are both 12% down. (All of these shows and more are available streaming with a Paramount+ subscription.)
As for freshman shows within existing franchises, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage has a smaller audience than Young Sheldon by 14%, while NCIS: Origins has a lower retention out of NCIS than NCIS: Hawai’i did prior to its cancellation, although only by 1%. Carrie Preston’s Elsbeth is the only other returning scripted show noted by TVLine to have increased from the previous season, with a growth of 4%. And when it comes to the TV show that brought Kathy Bates to TV, Matlock is crushing all other CBS competition with the exception of Tracker.
All in all, the switch from 9 p.m. ET to 8 p.m. ET on Sundays hasn’t hurt Tracker throughout its second season, and the show is keeping that slot once it returns with the winter premiere in the new year. A change is coming to CBS Sundays, though, with Morris Chestnut’s Watson – a medical drama with a Sherlock Holmes-esque slant – airing between Tracker and The Equalizer after its premiere on January 26. I wouldn’t be surprised if Watson is a breakout hit of the winter premiere season like Tracker was, although perhaps not quite reaching the same ratings highs as when Hartley was fresh off of the fan-favorite This Is Us.
Tracker fans can certainly celebrate that not only is the show continuing to crush in the ratings, but it also avoided any audience size dips that afflicted some other CBS shows in the fall. Justin Hartley’s series will be back in primetime with the winter premiere on Sunday, February 16 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. In the meantime, you can always revisit earlier episodes streaming via Paramount+.
