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Yellowstone prequel ‘1923’ grabs 7.4 million viewers

Paramount Global’s latest show in the “Yellowstone” franchise grabbed more than 7 million total views when it debuted Sunday evening, officials at the media company said this week.

The show, “1923,” streams only on Paramount Plus and stars Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren as the Dutton family circa the early 20th Century around the start of prohibition in the United States.



“Anchored by Taylor Sheridan’s incredible vision and the performances of legends Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford, we felt confident this next chapter of the Dutton Family origin story would resonate with audiences,” Tanya Giles, the chief programming officer for Paramount’s streaming division, said on Monday. “We are thrilled with the record-breaking early response to the first episode and can’t wait to introduce more audiences to this incredible journey of perseverance, heartbreak and adventure set amongst the backdrop of the Mountain West.”

1923 is created by Taylor Sheridan, the co-creator of Yellowstone and its other prequel, “1883.” Yellowstone airs on the cable channel Paramount Network, while 1883 — like 1923 — is exclusive to Paramount Plus. Sheridan’s two other shows, “Mayor of Kingstown” and “Tulsa King,” are also Paramount Plus exclusives.

“Taylor Sheridan continues to tap a cultural nerve that has proven irresistible to viewers from across the country and around the world, with this newest installment showing no signs of slowing down – proving yet again the power of our franchise strategy to fuel the future of Paramount Plus,” Chris McCarthy, the president and chief executive of Paramount Media Networks and MTV Entertainment Studios, said in a statement.

1923 aired a special preview after the latest episode of Yellowstone on Paramount Network late Sunday evening, though it wasn’t clear how many people watched the show on cable. Paramount said 7.4 million customers streamed the show on Sunday night. The show is releasing new episodes weekly on Paramount Plus.

Paramount Plus costs $5 a month or $50 a year for ad-supported access to Paramount Plus exclusives like 1923, 1883 and Tulsa King alongside original shows and movies from CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, BET, VH1, TV Land, Smithsonian Channel, Paramount Network and Paramount Pictures.

A commercial-free version of Paramount Plus that removes ads from on-demand content costs $10 a month or $100 a year. The ad-free version of Paramount Plus also includes live access to local CBS stations. Showtime content is available within Paramount Plus for a separate fee.

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About the Author:

Matthew Keys

Matthew Keys is a nationally-recognized, award-winning journalist who has covered the business of media, technology, radio and television for more than 11 years. He is the publisher of The Desk and contributes to Know Techie, Digital Content Next and StreamTV Insider. He previously worked for Thomson Reuters, the Walt Disney Company, McNaughton Newspapers and Tribune Broadcasting.
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