‘Yellowstone’ Co-Creator Taylor Sheridan Inks Big Deal With ViacomCBS’ Entertainment & Youth Brands; Kevin Costner Series Renewed For Season 4

EXCLUSIVE: ViacomCBS’ Entertainment & Youth Brands has signed a rich overall production and development deal with Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan. The pact, said to be well into the eight figures, covers multiple projects across the division run by Chris McCarthy, including projects for the newly created Entertainment & Youth Studios. David Glasser and his 101 Studios will executive produce all projects under the deal.

Additionally, Paramount Network has ordered a fourth season of its flagship series Yellowstone starring Kevin Costner, ahead of its Season 3 premiere on the summer.

This marks the first overall deal for ViacomCBS’ recently formed Entertainment & Youth Brands unit, which encompasses MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Network, Smithsonian Channel, VH1, Pop, CMT, TV Land, Logo and their respective content studios, as McCarthy is putting his stamp on his expanded portfolio. Keith Cox, President of ViacomCBS Entertainment and Youth Studios, who has played a key role in fostering the relationship with Sheridan at Paramount Network, will oversee the projects under the deal.

Yellowstone is the No. 1 scripted series of the summer across cable and broadcast TV in the key P18-49 and P25-54 demos and the most-watched 2019 summer series on cable TV. Also Paramount Network’s most-watched show, Yellowstone was co-created with John Linson, and co-produced by 101 Studios. The series follows Costner as John Dutton, who controls the largest contiguous ranch in the United States.

Sheridan’s deal also includes a first season of scripted drama Mayor of Kingstown, which Paramount Network ordered in January. Set in a small Michigan town centered on seven federal prisons, Mayor of Kingstown follows the McClusky family, the power brokers for the criminals, the cops, the prisoners and politicians who all have something at stake. The series comes from creator and executive producer Sheridan, along with co-creator and executive producer Hugh Dillon, executive producer Glasser and production company 101 Studios.

Oscar-nominated screenwriter Sheridan also has the second season of the unscripted series The Last Cowboy coming up on Paramount Network; its renewal was announced during TCA last month.

Prior to launching 101 Studios, Glasser executive produced Sheridan’s feature film Wind River, which made its world premiere at Sundance in 2017 and continued on to Cannes, ultimately making close to $44M worldwide. Sheridan was Oscar nominated for his 2016 original screenplay, Hell or High Water. That movie notched four Oscar noms overall in 2017, including Best Picture.