The season four finale of Yellowstone drew more than 10 million viewers, making it the most-watched cable show since the season three premiere of The Walking Dead in 2017, according to Nielsen figures released by ViacomCBS.
The finale of Yellowstone was simulcast on the Paramount Network and CMT and had 9.3 million total viewers on The Paramount Network alone.
Season four’s finale was up 81% from the season three finale, indicating the show is still building its audience, which is unusual for a show in its fourth season.
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Season four of Yellowstone averaged 1.9 million viewers in the 18-49 demo, up 95% from season three, and 2.6 million viewers in the 25-54 demo, up 100%. That makes it the top series of 2021 for broadcast, cable and premium networks, ViacomCBS said.
Yellowstone is the foundation of ViacomCBS’s strategy to build a franchise of shows created by Taylor Sheridan to bolster its Paramount Plus streaming service. In addition to Yellowstone, the franchise includes 1883 and Mayor of Kingstown.
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“Yellowstone continues to shatter records with more than 11 million viewers tuning into the season finale, proving we've hit a cultural nerve - from the center of the country to each of the coasts - and still have lots of room to grow on linear,” said Chris McCarthy, president and CEO, ViacomCBS Media Networks. “Our strategy to franchise Yellowstone into a universe of series to fuel growth for Paramount Plus is already exceeding expectations with 1883 and Mayor of Kingstown proving to be two of the top titles.” ■
