Yellowstone's Taylor Sheridan to exit Paramount+ in huge streaming shake-up

Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan is set for a fresh start as he gears up to leave his days at Paramount+ behind.

Previously called "a singular genius with a perfect track record" by Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, Taylor Sheridan is responsible for a string of hits on Paramount+.

Some of his work over the years has included the original Yellowstone drama, spin-offs 1823 and 1923, Landman, Lioness, Mayor of Kingstown and Tulsa King.

Despite his extensive work with the streamer in recent years, Sheridan has since signed a new five-year deal with NBCUniversal which will begin on January 1, 2029.

His contract with Paramount runs through until the end of 2028 so Sheridan will be starting afresh in the New Year.

Deadline has reported that the new deal could be worth as much as $1 billion, in comparison to his Paramount Global deal in 2001 which is believed to be worth $200 million.

When working with Paramount, Sheridan had been given plenty of leeway in terms of running high costs, some as high as $20 million per episode, with shows regularly filmed at his ranches.

Nevertheless, it proved to be worth it as the 55-year-old's work continued to attract fans with his shows consistently among the streamer's top performers.

Sheridan's pending exit comes after Paramount's recent merger with Skydance and the departure of Paramount Global co-CEO Chris McCarthy who worked closely with the Yellowstone creator.

Sheridan started off his career as an actor before moving on to work behind the cameras, writing for movies including Wind River, Hell or High Water and Sicario.

He then went on to create the unbelievable Yellowstone which ran for five seasons from 2018 to 2024 with fans hooked by the chaotic Dutton family.

Despite his Paramount exit, there is still more from the Yellowstone universe to come with various series in the works including The Dutton Ranch, The Madison, Y: Marshals and the newly released singing competition The Road.

The Yellowstone franchise is available to watch on Paramount+.