Ratings for the Yellowstone Season 5 premiere have set a higher standard for the neo-Western franchise.
The ratings for the two-hour show increased by 52% in adults 18-34, 22% in adults 18-49, and 13% in adults 25-54. The Yellowstone Season 5 premiere was simultaneously broadcast on CMT, TV Land, and Pop, resulting in a whopping 12 million viewers for the episode overall. All of the show's demographics saw double-digit growth.
Yellowstone's Unexpected & Incredible Success
Kevin Costner leads the ensemble cast of the hit Paramount Network series as John Dutton, patriarch of the family that owns Montana's biggest ranch and is constantly at odds with forces attempting to seize control of the land.
In Yellowstone Season 5, Dutton becomes Governor of Montana in the hopes of halting plans to build an airport on his ranch, while Jamie plots his vengeance after Beth discovers evidence of him killing his biological father.
Since its premiere on Paramount Network in the middle of 2018, Yellowstone has experienced one of the most unexpected increases in popularity. Many people didn't think Yellowstone would last through Season 2 because it debuted on a recently rebranded cable network and received generally mixed reviews from critics in Season 1. However, the show immediately became a ratings success on the network.
Taylor Sheridan's neo-Western series quickly surpassed The Walking Dead to become the second-most watched program on ad-supported cable during its debut season after only three episodes.
With more favorable reviews across Yellowstone Seasons 2-4 and a rare pristine 100 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes for Season 3, subsequent seasons have not only seen the show gain in popularity generally but also in the eyes of critics.
Yellowstone Season 5 Continues Success of Past Seasons
With the premiere numbers for Yellowstone Season 5 just raising the bar for the franchise, it becomes doubtful that the network will let it go anytime soon.
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Rip actor Cole Hauser recently confirmed that Sheridan was currently working on Season 6, while the creator himself has teased plans for the upcoming Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren prequel 1923 to run for two seasons, with spinoffs set in the 1940s and 1960s.
Given the show's emphasis on primarily white characters, some of this success has been attributed to more conservative American viewers.
However, Sheridan recently responded to those who had criticized the show's apparent conservatism by highlighting its themes of Native American displacement, corporate greed, the gentrification of the West, and the mistreatment of Native American women.
Watch Yellowstone Season 5
Regardless of the show's politics, Yellowstone's recent seasons have set multiple Paramount Network rating records, with Season 4 being so successful that Paramount's plans to rebrand the network for a second time were canceled.
While fans wait for the December premiere of 1923 and more information on the franchise's future, they can catch new episodes of Yellowstone Season 5 on the Paramount Network on Sundays.
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