As most fans of the Yellowstone television series already know, the hit show streams on Peacock streaming services. However, Paramount, which is owned by ViacomCBS, actually produces the show. Now, ViacomCBS has released a new streaming service called Paramount + to replace CBS All Access. However, Yellowstone is nowhere to be found on the new streaming service.
Could this end up helping or hurting our beloved show? While Yellowstone sat among the most popular shows produced by Paramount, it brought in all of its viewership from Peacock. That means pretty much anyone who watched the show religiously, with the exception of cable television viewers, watched exclusively from Peacock.
On the other hand, those who had CBS All Access and now Paramount + will be denied access to Yellowstone. Already some fans feel furious about the seemingly nonsensical logic. However, CBS Viacom has reasons for this decision. So let’s take a closer look. Why would CBS prevent a large portion of its viewers from watching one of its most popular shows?
Why CBS Keeps Yellowstone on Peacock
When it comes to television and business, the money will always take the cake. And that is exactly what is happening here with ViacomCBS, Paramount +, Peacock, and Yellowstone. For instance, the streaming business (and pretty much everything ViacomCBS works with for that matter) revolves around content licensing. By selling the rights to the shows, not only can they expand the reach of their audience, but they can also make more money through licensing out rights.
Aside from Yellowstone, ViacomCBS made $6 billion through licensing, which adds up to one-fourth of the company’s total earnings. So yeah, monetarily speaking, forking the rights over to their own rival streaming service actually plays to their benefit.
So, to put it simply, ViacomCBS believes that Yellowstone will reach more viewers and make more money if Peacock owns the rights. On the flip side, Paramount + will reportedly be the home of the spinoff series Y:1883 and 6666. All of this equals more money for ViacomCBS, more money for Paramount +, more money for Peacock, and more money for Yellowstone.
