CBS Announces Fall Lineup Including ‘Yellowstone’; Potentially Marking First Time Series Will Stream Outside of Peacock
The strategy that Hollywood studios plan to use to cope with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) striking simultaneously is becoming apparent. Paramount Global announced its fall TV lineup for CBS on Monday, and it will include some very familiar names and faces.
The biggest piece of news from Paramount’s announcement was that it would be making its hit Western drama “Yellowstone” available on a broadcast TV channel for the first time. Until now, “Yellowstone” was only available to watch on the cable channel Paramount Network, or on-demand on Peacock. It was not immediately clear how Paramount was able to clear the show’s importation to CBS with NBCUniversal; The Streamable reached out to NBCU and Paramount for clarification and will provide updates if available.
Traditionally, everything that airs on CBS is also simultaneously streamed on Paramount+’s ad-free tier Paramount+ with Showtime. If this remains true for broadcasts of “Yellowstone,” it will mark the first time that viewers will be able to stream the series on a subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) platform other than Peacock. While it is unlikely that the Taylor Sheridan-created hit will be available on demand on Paramount+, this would potentially be a huge bonus for customers who signed up for the service for other shows in the “Yellowstone” universe like “1883” and “1923.”
Customers who have access to Paramount Network via cable, satellite, or live TV streaming services are able to stream on-demand episodes of “Yellowstone,” either using their TV Everywhere credentials or in their live streaming apps. However, those come with certain limitations. Peacock currently has the first four seasons of the show available, as well as the first eight episodes of Season 5. The remaining episodes from the current season had originally been slated to air this summer, but have been delayed for reasons both personal and professional.
Other highlights of the CBS fall schedule include Paramount+ originals, as well. The nonfiction series “FBI True” reopens some of the FBI’s most dramatic cases, and brings the real-life agents who worked the files on to discuss what happened. “FBI True” will air on Tuesday nights, alongside the dramatized “FBI” series that will presumably be showing reruns.
“SEAL Team” will make its way back to the Eye Network this fall, as well. The first five seasons of “SEAL Team” aired on CBS, but for its most recent batch of episodes, the show moved to a streaming-exclusive format on Paramount+. All of these shows — especially “Yellowstone” — will require some editing to be allowed on a broadcast channel, as they feature episodes with heavy violence, adult language, and in some cases, sexual content.
Other programming highlights of the CBS fall lineup include new seasons of unscripted shows like “Survivor” and “Big Brother,” which require neither actors nor writers to complete. The network will also feature the British version of “Ghosts,” which CBS adapted for American audiences in 2021.
There may be more Paramount+ originals sent to CBS if the strike carries on for longer than studios anticipate. Disney has also begun selecting shows from its streaming platforms to air on network TV; Season 1 of “Ms. Marvel” will air on ABC over two consecutive Saturdays in August.
Audiences should expect more companies that own streaming platforms and broadcast channels (NBCU, for example) to begin airing streaming originals on network TV this fall. Much may depend on the ratings for those shows; if they aren’t good, it may convince studios and producers to acquiesce to the demands of writers and actors. If ratings for streaming series on broadcast TV are high, however, it could give studios leverage to force unions back to the negotiating table.
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.