Yellowstone Only Aired 1 Episode In 2023 & And It’s Still Among The Year’s Most Watched Shows
Despite Yellowstone only airing one new episode in 2023 back in January, the Kevin Costner series is among the year's most-watched programs.
- Yellowstone‘s single episode in 2023 ranked 51st on the list of most-watched telecasts, an impressive feat considering it only aired one new episode during the year.
- The episode was the second-highest viewed installment of narrative television in 2023, showing strong viewer engagement.
- CBS’s success with Yellowstone reruns indicates that there is likely to be a continued high viewership when the series returns in 2024.
A new report reveals 2023’s most-watched broadcasts, and it includes Yellowstone, which only aired one new episode during the year. Yellowstone began 2023 by airing season 5, episode 8, “A Knife and No Coin,” on January 1. The series then went on mid-season break and was delayed for several reasons, including the dual writers and actors strikes and behind the scenes drama between creator Taylor Sheridan and star Kevin Costner. Now, Yellowstone season 5 part 2 is slated for release sometime in 2024.
As per Variety, a new report on 2023’s 100 most-watched telecasts includes Yellowstone. The most-watched broadcasts of the year were primarily sports, with Super Bowl LVII taking the top spot. Yellowstone’s single 2023 episode tied for the 51st spot, gaining an estimated 11,474,000 viewers. Other non-sports inclusions on the list include the Oscars (no. 15), the Grammys (no. 36), Prince Harry’s 60 Minutes episode (no. 40), and several episodes of NCIS and Blue Bloods.
Why This Data Is A Good Sign For Yellowstone
Yellowstone’s inclusion on this list is incredibly impressive given that it had only a single shot at making the cut in 2023. Releasing on the first of the year, there was ample time for other shows to usurp Yellowstone
The high view count for the Yellowstone season 5 episode is not the only thing that has gone well for the show this year, even amid its strife. Over the course of 2023, Yellowstone has seen continued momentum as CBS began re-airing season 1 to make up for gaps in the release schedule caused by the strikes. These reruns were incredibly successful, as the CBS premiere drew in millions of viewers, and maintained energy throughout the run of its season.
As the show lay dormant for a year, this new data is a great sign for Yellowstone. It indicates enthusiasm for the series and its ever-growing universe is strong as it enters the back half of season 5, which will also be its last. Though the view count came from the very start of 2023, CBS’ success with the Yellowstone reruns suggest there won’t be much of a dip in viewership when the series finally returns in 2024. Hopefully, the wait will just build anticipation for more Yellowstone.
