Will ‘Yellowstone’ Still Stream on Peacock if Series Ends? Could Sheridan Series Come to Paramount+ This Summer?
The drama, backroom plotting, and mustache-twirling schemes of “Yellowstone” have created a massive following for its co-creator Taylor Sheridan. A recent report from Samba TV indicated that 24% — almost a quarter— of Paramount+ users subscribe to the service exclusively to watch Sheridan’s shows. This is especially impressive considering that “Yellowstone” — the most popular show on linear TV — doesn’t stream on Paramount+; it airs live on cable’s Paramount Network, then shifts to competitor streaming service Peacock.
Some of the spectacle from the Western-themed political and family drama is now leaking into the real world, however. Disputes have arisen between Sheridan, the Paramount higher-ups, and series star Kevin Costner that have led to reports that the show could end after its current season has concluded, and that new spin-offs not featuring Costner will be created by Sheridan.
A new report from Matthew Belloni at Puck News gives much more insight into the situation between Costner and his bosses at Paramount. It’s a fascinating tale of shooting schedules gone awry and unhappy working relationships, but the bottom line is that Sheridan and the Paramount executives see Costner as a diva, while the actor sees himself as being unfairly portrayed while still living up to the letter of his contractual obligations.
Another recent Puck report offers details regarding the deal between Paramount and Comcast that sends episodes of “Yellowstone” to Peacock 90 days after the end of each season. Paramount representatives have acknowledged that the licensing deal which sends the show to streaming on Peacock, which predates the creation of Paramount+, was a big mistake, and thanks to Puck’s reporting we have some idea of when that mistake could be rectified.
Puck’s data indicates that the digital rights to “Yellowstone” don’t revert back to Paramount until at least four years after the final episode has aired on linear TV. That means that if Season 5 is indeed the final go-around for “Yellowstone,” Paramount+ could claw back the streaming rights as early as 2027. Until then, the episodes will remain on Peacock, so don’t expect to see “Yellowstone” on Paramount+ any time in 2023.
That is, of course, unless Paramount thinks up a workaround. The second report from Puck indicates that the company could air episodes of the show on CBS when it returns for the second half of Season 5 this summer if it chose. That would allow it to livestream them on Paramount+ via the CBS feed that’s available to Paramount+ Premium users. However, the show would have to be edited for content as its strong language, violence, and occasional nudity would obviously not meet broadcast TV standards.
With such heavy edits required, it’s unlikely fans will see episodes of “Yellowstone” on CBS any time in the near future. Paramount will just have to wait, but if it ends “Yellowstone” after its current season, it can start the clawback countdown as soon as summer 2023.
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.