The highly anticipated return of Yellowstone for Season 5 Part B delivered record-breaking viewership numbers. Paramount said that an amazing 16.4 million people watched the episode on Sunday, which was shown on CBS and—eight cable networks. These numbers are the highest Yellowstone has ever had for a premiere night, beating out the already impressive numbers from previous seasons.
Here’s a breakdown of Yellowstone’s ratings across recent seasons:
| Season | Premiere Date | Network(s) | Viewers on Premiere Night | % Increase from Previous Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 4 | November 2021 | Paramount Network | 9.5 million | – |
| Season 5 Part 1 | November 2022 | Paramount Network & CBS (4 networks total) | 10.3 million | +8% |
| Season 5 Part 2 | November 2023 | CBS & 8 cable networks | 16.4 million (projected) | +59% |
The first episode of Season 5 Part 2 is especially important because it’s the first one without Kevin Costner. Costner quit the show because of scheduling issues with his movie project Horizon. He played the ranch’s headman, John Dutton. Fans had been guessing for months that Costner would leave the show, and they were excited to see how the writers would handle no longer having his character.
In a recent interview, Costner said that he hadn’t seen the episode and didn’t know how the show handled his character’s exit. He said this about the writers: “They’re pretty smart people.” He made it clear that they had full control over Dutton’s storyline. He also made it clear that he wasn’t leaving on his own saying — “I didn’t leave.”
The first episode of this season not only got high-ratings but it also continued the show’s trend of getting bigger audiences. More people watched the first part of Season 5 than the previous season which aired in November 2022. It’s clear that the show is getting more and more popular because Yellowstone keeps getting viewers and good reviews.
In the next few days, we should get a full breakdown of the viewership numbers, including data on DVRs and streaming. For now, it’s clear that Yellowstone’s return has made the show a TV powerhouse, even though it won’t have its lead actor anymore.
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