Yellowstone Delivers Big Ratings in its Broadcast TV Debut

Yellowstone reruns are quickly proving to be a hot commodity for CBS.

By Charlie Ridgely

There may not be any new episodes of Yellowstone on the horizon, but even reruns of the hit Western series are proving to be big with TV audiences. With the strikes still going and little new scripted available for this fall season, CBS turned to Yellowstone for some ratings, airing the cable series in a prime Sunday night slot. In its network TV debut, Yellowstone proved to be a great performer for CBS.

According to Deadline, Yellowstone's broadcast debut delivered 6.56 million viewers, good enough to make it the most-watched entertainment program of the entire week. That's also the biggest audience for a scripted network series since the NCIS finale back in May. Even though the episode that aired on Sunday was originally released in 2018, TV viewers still tuned in to watch the rerun.

Every week will see more Yellowstone airing on CBS Sunday nights, as the show works through its run from the very beginning. You can expect some slight edits to the content, given that the series initially aired on cable, but every episode of the show will make its way to CBS. At least through the first four seasons.

The End of Yellowstone

Yellowstone as we know it is set to end with Season 5, as Kevin Costner departs the series, leaving the Dutton family without a patriarch. A continuation is reportedly in the works, with a new sequel show set to take Yellowstone's place.

Matthew McConaughey is set to star in the Yellowstone sequel, alongside many of the current Yellowstone stars, who will likely reprise their roles for the new series. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter earlier this year, co-creator Taylor Sheridan talked about bringing McConaughey into the world of Yellowstone.

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"He seems like a natural fit," Sheridan said. "We had a few conversations over the years, and spitballed a few ideas. Then he started watching Yellowstone and responded to it. He was like, 'I want to do that.' And by 'that' he meant diving into a raw world clashing up against the modern world. And then I said, 'Buddy, that we can do.'"

"My idea of a spinoff is the same as my idea of a prequel – read into that what you will," Sheridan added. "There are lots of places where a way of life that existed for 150 years is slamming against a new way of life, but the challenges are completely different. There are a lot of places you can tell this story."

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