Here’s why ‘Yellowstone’ airs on the Paramount Network, but not Paramount Plus
Even though “Yellowstone” is produced by the Paramount Network, a prior deal with NBCUniversal is why the show is not streaming on the network’s own service, Paramount Plus.
“Yellowstone” aired its two-hour Season 5 premiere Sunday night, throwing the Dutton family into politics with Kevin Costner’s “John Dutton” sworn in as the newly-elected governor of Montana.
Last night in Fort Worth, a constellation of “Yellowstone” stars such as Luke Grimes and Kelsey Asbille walked the red carpet in the Stockyards. The first episode of the season was screened at the Downtown Cowtown at the Isis Theater.
Peacock landed the streaming rights to “Yellowstone” in January 2020, between the show’s second and third seasons. Peacock launched in July 2020 with “Yellowstone” as one of the streaming service’s biggest draws.
At the time in 2020, Paramount’s own streaming channel, Paramount Plus, had yet to launch. Paramount Plus would eventually get off the ground under a year later in March 2021, but the “Yellowstone” streaming rights were firmly in Peacock’s control.
To combat the loss of streaming revenue and the high demand for “Yellowstone,” Paramount went all in on the western, giving series creator Taylor Sheridan a deal to develop several projects related to the show. The first was “1883,” a prequel to “Yellowstone,” which exclusively streamed on Paramount Plus in December 2021.
While “Yellowstone” may not be on Paramount Plus for the foreseeable future, Sheridan has a plethora of shows coming to Paramount’s streaming service. Another “Yellowstone” prequel titled “1923” starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren is coming to Paramount Plus in December. A show on the legendary lawman Bass Reeves is in the works as well.
For now, “Yellowstone” fans can catch season five airing on the Paramount Network at 7 p.m. Sunday. The previous four seasons are available to stream on Peacock, or can be purchased on Amazon Prime, Apple iTunes store or on DVD/Blu-ray.
