When it comes to breaking TV records, there is no denying that Justin Hartley knows what America wants — just look at his hit show Tracker.
Based on Jeffery Deaver‘s novel The Never Game, Tracker follows a survivalist named Colter (Hartley) who travels the country helping people and law enforcement tackle a variety of mysteries. As the series unfolds, viewers learn more about how Colter’s past shaped his current life as a lone wolf.
Hartley, 48, serves as both the lead and an executive producer on the show, which found its audience as soon as it premiered in early 2024. As Tracker continued to set TV records and raise viewership numbers, the actor credited the storytelling.
“One of the things I really love about Colter and the way we’ve built him is that he doesn’t apologize for his masculinity,” he told Men’s Journal in August 2025. “I think that’s what people are looking for. You’re asking yourself, ‘What kind of people do I want to hang out with?’ And particularly: ‘What kind of male friends do I have in my life that I really value?’”
See Justin Hartley’s Hottest Moments as Colter on CBS’ Hit Series ‘Tracker’
Hartley was thrilled with the example they are able to set with Colter.
“I think we’ve crafted a character that is so emotionally evolved, and he really does want to get to the root of why people do things,” Hartley continued. “The facts are that [executive producer] Ken Olin and I set out to do a show that was in fact a throwback. We wanted a new spin on a procedural, meaning our character would evolve over time.”
Hartley added: “He would not just remain the same exact person every single week. We were hopeful people would like it. People ended up loving it. I think there’s a huge appetite for this kind of show.”
At the time, Hartley acknowledged that the idea of a strong lead — both emotionally and physically — has become a trend.
“I’m not sure we’re in a Renaissance period for these kinds of shows, but I think the proof is in the pudding,” he noted. “I mean, look at Reacher. It’s more serialized, but it’s the same kind of thing. People like a hero. They like to root for a hero, so I think there’s a huge audience for that beyond just Tracker.”
Keep scrolling to see every accomplishment Tracker has achieved — so far:
Series Premiere
After making its debut following the Super Bowl in February 2024, Tracker earned the most-watched broadcast premiere in three years. The show that previously held that title was NCIS’ final episode with Mark Harmon in September 2021.
The viewership only increased from there with CBS revealing in December 2024 that Tracker averaged 18.2 million viewers per episode according to their Paramount+ and broadcast measurements.
Season 2 Premiere
When the hit CBS series returned for a second season later in 2024, it brought in 8.3 million total viewers, which was nearly 10 percent up in viewership from the season 1 finale. The season 2 premiere also marked the show’s highest audience since the series debuted after the Super Bowl.
Justin Hartley’s Most Insightful Quotes About His Hit CBS Series ‘Tracker’
Most-Watched Telecasts of 2023
Tracker was the 2023-24 TV season’s most-watched entertainment series, being ranked as the No. 1 show since Survivor premiered in 2000.
Most-Watched Telecasts of 2024
Variety‘s annual list of the year’s 100 most-watched primetime telecasts revealed that 15 of the slots belonged to Tracker.
Most-Watched Telecasts of 2025
At the end of 2025, Tracker scored 19 episodes on the year’s top 100 primetime telecasts ranker, which was more than anything outside of the NFL.
Ruling the 2025 Season
According to ratings from both ABC and CBS, High Potential and Tracker were virtually tied as the most-watched entertainment series — when not counting sports and news — on broadcast in the 2025 calendar year.
