Paramount announced today that Yellowstone was the most successful TV franchise of 2021 across both physical and digital transactional media. The series generated over $100 million, including sales in digital last year. And while the results of 2021 are already impressive, the show continues to break records in 2022, as the recently released Blu-ray set of Season 4 had the highest first-week physical sales for a TV series since the final season of Game of Thrones in December 2019.
Created by Taylor Sheridan, Yellowstone follows the struggles of the Dutton family, led by the patriarch John Dutton (Kevin Costner). The Duttons control the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United States, which sets a target on their back from everyone who wants to drive them away from the land and take control of their prosperous business. The continuous interest of viewers recently led Paramount+ to renew the original series for a fifth season, which is not exactly a surprise considering that Season 4’s finale broke audience records on cable television with over 15 million total viewers.
Yellowstone's success also led Paramount+ and Sheridan to develop a prequel series, 1883, starring Sam Elliot, Faith Hill, and Tim McGraw. The series premiered in December 2021 and follows James (McGraw) and Margaret Dutton (Hill) as they go from Texas to Montana in search of the American dream, guided by tough-as-nails cowboy Shea Brennan (Elliot). The prequel proved to be a hit, bringing around 4.9 million viewers during its premiere episode. Also, just last month, Paramount announced another spinoff, 1932, set during United States' Western expansion, with Sheridan once again involved.
Commenting on the series success, CEO of producer 101 Studios, David Glasser, said:
“As we continue to build out the ‘Yellowstone’ universe, it's amazing to see that there is an enormous audience out there who is as eager as we are to expand this world in ways that are rivaling the largest film and television franchises in the industry. We are indebted to the fans who have made that a reality, who make us strive even harder to keep offering even more compelling characters and stories.”
Bob Buchi, president, Worldwide Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, also added:
“We are thrilled to be part of the phenomenon that is Yellowstone. The passion from the show’s fans is undeniable, and the support from our digital and physical retail community has been tremendous. As fandom continues to grow, we look forward to bringing Taylor Sheridan’s iconic series to people who want to relive the experience again and again via home entertainment.”
The first three seasons of Yellowstone are currently available to stream on Peacock for subscribers of Peacock Premium or Peacock Premium Plus. Season 4 of Yellowstone will be available to stream on Peacock beginning March 28.