‘Yellowstone’ Spin-Off ‘1923’ Becomes Paramount+’s Largest Streaming Debut Ever
Did you tune into the series premiere of “1923” on Dec. 18? If so, you’re definitely not alone. According to reporting from Variety, the new series from “Yellowstone” co-creator Taylor Sheridan saw 7.4 million viewers log onto Paramount+ for the series’ debut.
That figure represents the biggest premiere ever for a series on the platform. By comparison, the most recent season premiere of “Yellowstone” drew in 10.4M viewers on the Paramount Network. Variety’s number comes from a combination of data from Nielsen, as well as Paramount’s own internal figures.
“1923” introduces a new generation of the Dutton family and explores the early 20th century when pandemics, historic drought, the end of Prohibition, and the Great Depression all plague the mountain west and the Duttons who call it home. The series stars Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren alongside Oscar-nominated actor Harrison Ford. This is the second “Yellowstone” prequel series to arrive on Paramount+ following last year’s “1833.”
“Anchored by Taylor Sheridan’s incredible vision and the performances of legends Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford, we felt confident this next chapter of the Dutton family origin story would resonate with audiences,” Paramount’s chief streaming programming officer Tanya Giles told to Variety. “We are thrilled with the record-breaking early response to the first episode and can’t wait to introduce more audiences to this incredible journey of perseverance, heartbreak and adventure set amongst the backdrop of the Mountain West.”
Watch a Trailer for ‘1923’:
Thanks to a licensing agreement, episodes of “Yellowstone” do not head to Paramount+ to stream alongside shows other Sheradin-verse shows like “1923.” Instead, they go to NBCUniversal’s streaming service Peacock. However, there are numerous other shows from the prolific creator on the platform, including “1883,” “Mayor of Kingstown,” “Tulsa King,” and many more in the works.
It’s been quite a good year for big, tentpole shows like “1923.” HBO Max saw its new series “House of the Dragon” set viewing records, and Prime Video also saw record audiences for its fantasy epic “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” The new data from the “1923” premiere shows just how important having a quality content creator like Sheridan is to the success of new shows and their platforms.
“Taylor continues to write the most epic stories shot with cinematic beauty,” David C. Glasser, CEO of 101 Studios (which helps produce “1923”) told Variety. “His scripts attract not only the best actors working today but the best crew around and we are so fortunate these huge audiences tune in to be a part of his universe every week. We can’t thank MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount+ enough for their continued support on this incredible journey.”
Paramount Plus
Paramount+ is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 40,000+ TV show episodes from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and more. The lineup includes “1883,” “Tulsa King,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “PAW Patrol.” Subscribers can watch the NFL, college football, The Masters, college basketball, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa, Serie A, and NWSL. The service also offers the option to watch your live CBS affiliate. The upgraded ad-free package includes premium movies and shows from Showtime.