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CBS has picked up the Paramount Network’s Yellowstone, with the network airing the hit series’ second season on Sunday nights. The series has been a big hit for Paramount, helping the platform during these tumultuous times involving writers and actors’ strikes, with its co-creator Taylor Sheridan helming the western epic.
How did ‘Yellowstone’ fare in it’s first season?
Season one of Yellowstone, starring Kevin Costner (at least for the already completed seasons), premiered on CBS on September 17 and averaged 5.49 million views per episode, judging by the most recent Nielsen ratings. In the initial weeks of the TV season, it has continuously been the most widely watched entertainment program on Sunday nights. According to the network, more than half of the CBS viewership — 52 percent — is new to the show. That’s despite the fact that Yellowstone’s most recent season, which aired on Paramount Network in late 2022, was the most watched show (other than live sports) on broadcast or cable in the 2022-23 season.
Why did CBS decide to pick up ‘Yellowstone’?
Yellowstone was added to CBS’s fall lineup in July, after its original slate appeared unsustainable as the writers strike continued into the summer and performers accompanied them on the picket lines that month. With SAG-AFTRA currently on strike — and media firms having temporarily halted discussions — new scripted programming (that hasn’t already been finished) is out of the question for CBS and other broadcasters. The first season finale of the show will air on CBS on Sunday, with the season two premiere scheduled for October 29.
