A war between Paramount Global and NBCUniversal could be brewing that would put the intra-family conflicts of the Dutton clan to shame. The conflict may escalate thanks to a new spinoff of “Yellowstone,” the neo-Western drama which wrapped up a tumultuous five-season run in 2024. Unlike a previously announced series featuring “Yellowstone” characters, the new series is intended for the CBS broadcast network, but NBCU thinks it should still get access to streaming rights for any new shows spawned by the original.

Key Details:

• The new “Yellowstone” spinoff could reportedly focus on Kayce Dutton.
• **Another “Yellowstone” spinoff featuring Beth Dutton is already in the works.
• The deal licensing “Yellowstone“‘s streaming rights to Peacock reportedly ends in 2029.

According to Deadline, the latest “Yellowstone” spinoff could focus on Kayce Dutton and his life as a Navy SEAL, the vocation he chose before settling in as livestock commissioner on the Dutton ranch. It’s intended specifically to air on CBS, which means it won’t have the same level of adult content as the original “Yellowstone.” No deals are yet signed for the new series, so there’s no guarantee it ever comes to fruition.

Another “Yellowstone” series is also underway, one which is intended to center on Beth Dutton and husband Rip Wheeler. That series is intended to stream on Paramount+, and could also end up on the Paramount Network linear channel as well. Other projects set in the “Yellowstone” universe in some stage of development include “The Madison” and “6666.”

The reason NBCU is upset with the new “Yellowstone” spinoffs is rooted in a deal agreed to by Paramount executives before they had a viable streaming service of their own. That licensing deal allows Peacock to stream “Yellowstone,” and The Wall Street Journal reports it continues for five years after the end of the show’s run on TV, ending in 2029.

The Journal also reports that NBCU thinks any shows spawned by “Yellowstone” and featuring the same actors and characters are also included in the deal, and thus should head to Peacock once they’re available to stream. Paramount says that the deal is intended to include “Yellowstone” only.

There could well be lawyers before all is said and done. The dispute has some similarities to the conflict between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery over rights to “South Park” TV episodes and feature-length specials. WBD is currently suing Paramount for allegedly convincing “South Park” creators to make “specials” that stream on Paramount+, in an attempt to circumvent WBD’s deal stipulating that it had exclusive streaming rights to “South Park” episodes.

Will NBCU turn to legal action to enforce its claims on Dutton characters as well? Only time will tell, but it appears the conflict between it and Paramount over rights to the “Yellowstone” franchise is just heating up.