Nielsen Data: CBS's Marshals Ranks Second in Multiplatform Viewership with 26.5 Million After 28 Days
The CBS drama Marshals has recorded 26.5 million 28-day multiplatform viewers, placing second behind Netflix's Stranger Things in the latest season-to-date ranker. The series, part of the Yellowstone franchise, launched on March 1 and opened as the largest scripted broadcast premiere in over seven years, excluding NFL-boosted titles. CBS series occupy six spots in the top 20 most-watched programs
Variety# CBS' Marshals Tops Broadcast Viewership in Latest Nielsen Ranker The CBS freshman drama Marshals is tracking to be this TV season's most-watched broadcast series, according to a season-to-date ranker of live plus 28-day multiplatform viewership shared with CBS on Wednesday.
The ranker, based on Nielsen data supplied by CBS, covers linear and streaming total viewers from September 14, 2025, to March 1, 2026. 5 million 28-day multiplatform viewers.
Marshals launched on March 1 and opened as the largest for a scripted broadcast series premiere in more than seven years, with the exclusion applying to titles that benefited from airing directly after NFL games. 5 million viewer number for Marshals is averaged from just a handful of episodes. The sharing of the ranker was timed to CBS's fall schedule announcement.
The ranker excludes sports and programs with four or fewer episodes. 6 million 28-day multiplatform viewers in first place. 2 million viewers.
Yellowstone Franchise Expands to Broadcast with Marshals Marshals is the first broadcast installment in Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone franchise, which has previously aired on the Paramount Network and Paramount+.
The series is produced by Paramount TV Studios and 101 Studios. Yellowstone actor Luke Grimes reprises the role of Kayce Dutton in Marshals. S. Marshals and combines his skills as a cowboy and Navy SEAL to bring range justice to Montana, according to the official logline.
Variety reported these details on the series' production and plot. 9 million viewers.
CBS Dominates Top 20 with Multiple Series CBS series make up six of the top 20 most-watched series among all broadcast and streaming competition, according to CBS.
CBS boasts eight series that attract more than 10 million multiplatform viewers after 28 days. Those eight CBS series are Marshals, Tracker, CIA, Matlock, Sheriff Country, Ghosts, Survivor and NCIS. 7 million.
3 million viewers. Survivor and NCIS also contribute to CBS's strong showing in the ranker.
Full Top 20 Multiplatform Viewership Rankings Sean Combs The Reckoning on Netflix ranks fourth with 19.
7 million 28-day multiplatform viewers. 2 million. 7 million. 6 million. 8 million. 5 million.
Story Timeline
3 events- 2026-04-15 (Wednesday)
Latest season-to-date ranker shared with CBS, timed to fall schedule announcement.
1 sourceVariety - 2026-03-01
Marshals launches on CBS, opening as largest scripted broadcast premiere in over seven years excluding NFL-boosted titles.
1 sourceVariety - 2025-09-14
Start of season-to-date period covered by Nielsen ranker for linear and streaming viewers.
1 sourceVariety
Potential Impact
- 01
Highlights multiplatform viewing trends, with CBS gaining from streaming integration on Paramount+.
- 02
Strengthens CBS's position in broadcast TV, potentially influencing fall scheduling decisions.
- 03
Supports ongoing production and casting decisions for Marshals, given strong early metrics from handful of episodes.
- 04
Boosts visibility for Yellowstone franchise on broadcast, drawing more viewers to Paramount+ entries like Landman.
- 05
Increases competition pressure on Netflix series in top rankings.
Transparency Panel
Related Stories
deadline.comVariety Publishes First Images of Val Kilmer's AI-Generated Character in 'As Deep as the Grave'
Variety released an exclusive first look at Val Kilmer's appearance in the upcoming film 'As Deep as the Grave'. The performance features AI-generated elements. A trailer for the film also presents Kilmer on the big screen.
VarietySearchlight Pictures Acquires U.S. Rights to Horror Film 'Monitor' for 2027 Release
Searchlight Pictures has acquired U.S. distribution rights to the horror movie 'Monitor' from filmmakers Matt Black and Ryan Polly. The film, which premiered at SXSW last month, stars Brittany O’Grady and Taz Skylar and was produced by Nostromo Pictures and Temple Hill. Searchlig…
deadline.comYash Raj Films Announces New Romance Film Starring Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda
Mohit Suri is directing a new Hindi romance film produced by Yash Raj Films, with Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda as leads. The film, titled Saiyaara, marks Panday's acting debut. Panday and Padda ranked first and second on IMDb's Most Popular Indian Stars of 2025 list.