The long-awaited return of Yellowstone to the small screen hit a major milestone this week, as the show’s Season 5 premiere smashed all previous viewership records. With over 16.4 million viewers tuning in across multiple networks and airings, the premiere episode has become the most-watched in the history of the series. This impressive feat demonstrates that Yellowstone’s hold on its audience remains as strong as ever — and possibly even stronger now, as the show heads into its final season.
In this article, we’ll dive into how Yellowstone pulled off such a staggering ratings performance, what it means for the show’s future, and the significance of the premiere’s content. But first, let’s take a look at the numbers that have everyone talking.
Yellowstone Season 5 Premiere: Record-Breaking Ratings
When Yellowstone premiered its fifth season, it didn’t just break its own records — it shattered them. The episode, which aired Sunday night, attracted a staggering 16.4 million viewers across its various showings, including simulcasts on eight networks and a prime-time broadcast on CBS. This marked the largest single-night audience in Yellowstone history, surpassing the 15.9 million viewers from the previous year’s Season 5 premiere in 2022.
The Power of Multiple Airings
One of the reasons behind this jaw-dropping number is the strategy of airing the premiere episode across multiple platforms. In addition to the initial broadcast on Paramount Network, the episode was simulcast on a total of eight networks, including:
- CMT
- Comedy Central
- MTV
- MTV2
- Logo
- Pop
- TV Land
- CBS
This multi-network approach, designed to maximize reach and engagement, seems to have paid off. The episode also had three encore airings on Paramount Network and CMT in the early hours of Monday morning, further boosting the viewership totals.
