For the first time ever, two Yellowstone spinoffs were in-season at the same time this spring. It was a brief window, but there were two weeks in May where fans of the Taylor Sheridan Western universe could get updates on the lives of the remaining Dutton siblings on two different networks. Marshals, starring Luke Grimes, closed out its first season on May 24 on CBS. Dutton Ranch, starring Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser, premiered on May 15 on Paramount+ and Paramount Network. How do the ratings of each series premiere compare?
The Marshals series premiere was the most-watched scripted series debut on CBS since 2018. It was viewed by 9.52 million viewers, the most-watched new scripted series premiere without a football lead-in since 2018, according to Nielsen, Live+SD Panel + Big Data. Marshals is the first broadcast series from the Yellowstone universe and is produced by Paramount TV Studios and 101 Studios.
Dutton Ranch, which released two episodes on its premiere day, also set a record for Paramount+. The Beth and Rip spinoff unseated Sheridan’s The Madison as the biggest original series launch in Paramount+ history. It’s also the biggest cable premiere since 2023. Dutton Ranch amassed 12.9 million views globally in the seven days after its premiere, the biggest in Paramount+ history. The Madison previously broke the record earlier this year, with 8 million viewers in its first 10 days. Dutton Ranch blew past that with its 12.9 million viewers in week one.
While Dutton Ranch is a hit for Paramount+ and Paramount Network, Marshals does beat Dutton Ranch in viewership. CBS is TV’s most-watched broadcast network, and Marshals is the most-watched new show on broadcast TV this year, so that’s not entirely surprising.
Dutton Ranch had 2.9 million total viewers on premiere night (May 15) across its two-episode debut on Paramount Network. It scored the biggest series premiere on cable since 2023, with 1.9 million viewers for the first episode. Dutton Ranch also ranked as the No. 1 cable entertainment telecast on premiere day among both adults 18-49 and total viewers.
In Marshals, with the Yellowstone Ranch behind him, Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) joins an elite unit of U.S. Marshals, combining his skills as a cowboy and Navy SEAL to bring range justice to Montana, where he and his teammates must balance family, duty, and the high psychological cost that comes with serving as the last line of defense in the region’s war on violence. Season 1 ended on a major cliffhanger that will require Kayce and his team to save his son, Tate (Brecken Merrill), from a new villain introduced in the episode’s final moments. Marshals Season 2 is currently filming in Utah. It comes out this fall on CBS.
In Dutton Ranch, when a natural disaster forces them to leave their new ranch in Dillon, Montana, behind, Beth and Rip move their family to Rio Paloma, Texas, to start a new ranching life. Their new start was thwarted again when an unexpected outbreak of a highly contagious disease plagued their cattle. Now, Beth and Rip have to start again, and they have to make an ally out of their Texan rival, Beulah Jackson (Annette Bening). When it comes to Beulah, Beth and Rip are keeping their enemy close. Dutton Ranch Season 1 has nine episodes total. The Season 1 finale comes out on Friday, July 3.
The other Yellowstone spinoffs are the 1883 and 1923 prequels. There were 6666 and 1944 spinoffs reportedly in the works, but there have been few updates on that series in the years since it was announced. Sheridan wrote all of Yellowstone and the previous spinoffs, but he’s not a writer on Marshals or Dutton Ranch. He is an executive producer on both.
Dutton Ranch, Fridays, 8/7c, Paramount Network, Streaming on Paramount+
Marshals, Season 2 Premiere, Fall 2026, CBS
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