‘Yellowstone’ Has Still Not Been Renewed For Season 5 — Despite Breaking Ratings Records In Season 4

ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS

• Yellowstone ended season 4 as the most-watched drama on cable.
• A few members of the cast have already hinted at season 5.
• So why hasn’t Paramount renewed Taylor Sheridan’s hit neo-western for season 5?

Yellowstone aired its season 4 finale on January 2, and everyone is already talking about what’s coming next. But for some reason, the Paramount Network has yet to renew Taylor Sheridan’s neo-western for season 5, despite breaking ratings records.

The ‘Yellowstone’ season 4 finale scored huge ratings

The Yellowstone season 4 finale scored 9.3 million total viewers via the Paramount Network. When you add in the viewers from the episode’s simulcast on CMT, that number rises to 10.3 million. Those are bigger numbers than most broadcast TV network dramas. And that doesn’t even include the delayed views from DVR and streaming.

When comparing the numbers of the season 3 and season 4 finales, Yellowstone saw a jaw-dropping 81 percent increase in total viewership.

What’s more, Yellowstone was the number one series across Broadcast, Cable, and Premium channels for both the 18-49 and 25-54 demographics throughout season 4. An average of 1.9 million adults ages 18-49 tuned into season 4, along with 2.6 million in the 25-54 demo.

Taylor Sheridan’s western just received its first major award nomination

After years of being snubbed at the major awards ceremonies, Yellowstone finally got some industry attention when it received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series earlier this month.

In this competitive category, Yellowstone will be competing with the ensembles from Succession, Squid Game, The Morning Show, and The Handmaid’s Tale.

“There’s no bigger compliment to an actor than being recognized by their peers. Congratulations to our incredibly talented cast on this wonderful and well-deserved nomination,” Sheridan said in a statement.

The Yellowstone ensemble includes stars Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, and Gil Birmingham.

The Paramount Network has not renewed ‘Yellowstone’ for season 5

Despite the season 4 ratings success and the SAG award nomination, the Paramount Network has not officially renewed Yellowstone for season 5. However, the series will absolutely be back. And fans can expect new episodes before the end of the year.

With Sheridan signing a $200 million dollar deal with CBSViacom last year — and the fact that he has numerous other series on the air or in development — the Yellowstone creator doesn’t need an official renewal. Instead, Sheridan will be the one who decides when the Dutton story is over.

The Kevin Costner-led western is ‘in its prime’

Executive producer and CEO of 101 studios David Glasser told Variety that filming for season 5 will begin in May. And, the season will likely air “in the fall.” It makes sense that the network would want new episodes of Yellowstone back on the air as soon as possible. With such big ratings, Glasser believes “it’s the prime of the show.”

“I think the show is still maturing, and there’s still a lot of story to tell. I know with Taylor, he’s got a lot to say and a lot to write,” Glasser said. “He’s deep into Season 5 of Yellowstone now. He’s got some incredible ideas that he shared that I think audiences are going to be really excited about.”

Taylor Sheridan knows how ‘Yellowstone’ ends

During a recent interview with The New York Times, Sheridan revealed that he already knows how Yellowstone ends. And, he’s “writing to that ending.” The writer and director also made it clear that the show only has a handful of seasons left.

“There’s only so much hovering one can do before the story starts to lose its locomotion; you can’t put it in neutral just because it’s successful,” Sheridan explained. “It will go as many years as it takes for me to tell the story, but you’re not going to see nine seasons of it. No way.”

Yellowstone seasons 1 through 3 are available on Peacock. Season 4 is expected to drop in March.