Key Points
- Taylor Sheridan is leaving Paramount for Comcast’s NBC Universal in the next few years.
- Sheridan has been responsible for many of Paramount’s hit dramas, including breakout western “Yellowstone.”
- Sheridan was reportedly aggrieved with the new leadership at Paramount following its merger with Skydance Media.
Taylor Sheridan, the actor-turned-showmaker behind hit dramas like “Yellowstone,” “Mayor of Kingstown” and “Tulsa King,” is leaving his home at Paramount Global for Comcast’s NBC Universal in a few years, according to numerous reports published over the weekend.
Sheridan is expected to remain at Paramount through the end of his contact, which runs until 2029, and will continue supporting his shows there over the next few years. When his contract is up, he intends to join NBC Universal, where he will develop new series for the entertainment giant, the Wall Street Journal said.
His agreement with NBC Universal, which is still in the process of being finalized, will include new series for NBC and its streaming platform Peacock as well as feature-length films for Universal Pictures.
News of Sheridan’s upcoming move was first reported by Puck. It comes less than three months after David Ellison’s Skydance Media merged with Paramount. Ellison has publicly expressed his desire to retain Sheridan’s creative output, calling him one of Paramount’s most valuable assets. Sheridan’s decision to move from Paramount to Comcast reportedly came after he felt aggrieved by Paramount’s new leadership following the Skydance transaction, reports said.
Sheridan’s shows have become major audience drivers for Paramount Plus and the Paramount Network, helping the company build its brand around premium scripted dramas. His programming, initially targeted toward middle America, has since expanded its appeal among urban and coastal viewers.
Yellowstone, in particular, was a sleeper hit for Paramount, finding fans in the heartland of America before developing a broader audience from coast to coast. It was the highest-rated scripted series on cable TV, drawing millions of viewers to Paramount Network during its five-season run, which concluded with a two-part season that saw popular actor Kevin Costner leave his starring role mid-way through.
The partnership was equally lucrative for Sheridan: A profile published by the Journal two years ago shined a light on an unusual arrangement the actor had with the TV production studio, through which he often filmed on his own ranches to the tune of $50,000 per week.
Sheridan and Comcast are no stranger to each other: Yellowstone has streamed exclusively on Peacock through an unusual distribution arrangement that pre-dates Paramount’s earlier merger with Viacom Networks, after which it became more-focused on direct-to-consumer streaming platforms. Paramount allowed Yellowstone to be licensed to Comcast prior to the merger, and executives — before the Skydance deal — expressed regret at not securing the rights to the show for what eventually became Paramount Plus.
That said, Paramount Plus continues to enjoy exclusive digital distribution rights to two Yellowstone spin-offs — “1883” and “1923” — and is the home of Sheridan’s other dramas like Mayor of Kingstown, “Lioness” and Tulsa King.
