It looks like a nearly two-year hiatus hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm of Yellowstone fans.
According to a new report from Variety, the Paramount Network juggernaut just delivered its biggest ratings to date.
Yellowstone Season 5 Episode 9 pulled in a whopping 16.4 million viewers across CBS and cable.
And streaming audiences are sure to add to that number now that the episode is available on Hulu and other platforms.
As Deadline reports, Paramount is still locked in a contract dispute with Nielsen. Thus, this data comes to us courtesy of the analytics outfit VideoAmp.
But while the numbers weren’t tabulated by the first name in TV ratings services, there’s no reason to doubt their accuracy.
Obviously, the big winners here are Paramount and Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan.
And while there are no losers, necessarily, you can bet that Kevin Costner is less than thrilled about the situation.
As we previously reported, Costner made a major gamble when he walked away from Yellowstone in order to focus on his multi-part Western epic, Horizon.
(His personal disagreements with Sheridan likely also factored into the decision, but it’s still hard to get a reliable account of that situation.)
Sadly, Horizon Part 1 tanked so badly that the second installment never hit theaters.
Now, to add insult to injury, this week’s numbers confirm that Yellowstone fans are more interested in the series than ever, despite the absence of its A-list star.
As for the future of the dueling Dutton family, the trailer above provides our first look at what lies ahead this season.
And it looks as though Sheridan and company have had no trouble coming up with explosive new storylines in this post-Costner era.
Will the show’s current success lead Paramount to uncancel Yellowstone, as has been rumored?
Well, it’s too soon to say.
But no matter what becomes of the Dutton Ranch, Sheridan fans have plenty to look forward to.
The workaholic showrunner has a whopping six series on the air right now, including Landman, which premieres on Sunday.
Over to you, TV fanatics! Are you missing John Dutton III, or do you think Yellowstone is just as strong without its iconic leading man?
Hit the comments section below to share your thoughts!
