Yellowstone: More Than 3 Million Viewers Had Never Seen Series Prior to CBS Premiere

Yellowstone‘s broadcast premiere brought a staggering 6.6 million viewers to the Dutton ranch when it debuted earlier this month, but it turns out that those numbers are even more impressive than they first seemed. According to Variety, half of those overall viewers — more than 3 million total — were watching Yellowstone for the very first time. Per the report, almost 7.5 million total viewers tuned in for Yellowstone‘s broadcast debut once you account for three days of delayed viewing via VOD, DVR, and other platforms and of that overall 7.5 million number, about half had never before seen the Paramount Network series. The other half were already fans of the series or who had at least seen the series before.

Yellowstone may have had impressive broadcast debut numbers, but even in its second week on CBS, the Taylor Sheridan-created series is still bringing in an audience. This week’s broadcast saw an audience of 5 million and while that is a drop from the first week, some of the drop can be attributed to football audiences and also fans going to Peacock after watching the premiere to check out the show further as previous episodes of the series are currently streaming on that platform.

When Will Yellowstone Return With New Episodes?

While CBS is airing episodes of Yellowstone from the start, the series is currently in its fifth season, but it may be a while before fans are able to get back to new episodes of the series. Yellowstone went on a midseason break earlier this year and thus far, production on the remaining episodes of Season 5 has not even begun. Additionally, Yellowstone is set to end with Season 5 as Kevin Costner, who plays patriarch John Dutton III, is departing the series. A continuation or follow up series is reportedly in the work with Matthew McConaughey set to star.

“He seems like a natural fit,” Sheridan said previously. “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.”

Yellowstone Creator Taylor Sheridan Has Previously Addressed John Dutton’s Ending

Earlier this year, Sheridan told The Hollywood Reporter that while he was disappointed with how things worked out with Costner, the closure of the John Dutton character remains generally unchanged — it just truncates things and there’s not a behind-the-scenes tension fueled “f-ck you car crash” sort of ending planned either.

“I’m disappointed,” Sheridan said. “It truncates the closure of his character. It doesn’t alter it, but it truncates it.”

He continued, “I don’t do f-ck you car crashes. Whether [Dutton’s] fate inflates [Costner’s] ego or insults is collateral damage that I don’t factor in with regard to storytelling.”

Yellowstone airs Sunday nights on CBS. The first four seasons of the series are also available to stream on Peacock.