Sunday’s episode was up 6% compared to the Paramount Network’s average viewership for the season.
“Yellowstone” hit a season-high viewership for the penultimate episode of the Paramount Network show’s fifth season.
Sunday’s episode, which marked the fourth installment since “Yellowstone” returned to finish airing its fifth season, brought in 12.1 million viewers, according to viewing figures from VideoAmp (CBS typically reports ratings figures from Nielsen, though they are currently in the midst of an ongoing contract dispute).
The episode, which featured an appearance from Bella Hadid, scored the biggest audience “Yellowstone” has seen all season, with its viewership seeing a 6% increase compared to its current average viewership of 11.4 million.
“Yellowstone” debuted Season 5B to its biggest premiere night audience ever as it brought in 16.4 million viewers across Paramount Network, CBS and eight other cable networks. The premiere was simulcast on Paramount-owned networks CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, MTV2, Logo, Pop and TV Land.
The second half of “Yellowstone” Season 5 is on track to draw the most social engagements in series’ history, with Season 5B scoring 441 million views — up 168% compared to last season — and 15 million engagements — up 103% compared to last season.
“Yellowstone” is gearing up to release its Season 5 finale on Sunday, Dec. 15, at 8 p.m. on Paramount Network. Paramount is advertising the episode as a “special season finale event,” despite previous reports that the final episodes of Season 5 would serve as the ending to the Taylor Sheridan-created series. Reports circulated in August, however, that “Yellowstone” is in talks for a potential sixth season, despite Kevin Costner’s departure from the show.
If greenlit, “Yellowstone” Season 6 would be led by Kelly Reilly, who stars as Beth Dutton, the daughter of John Dutton III (Costner), and Cole Hauser, who plays Rip Wheeler, Beth’s husband and the family’s go-to ranch hand.