‘Yellowstone’ Creator Taylor Sheridan to Leave Paramount for NBCUniversal
Sheridan’s hits for Paramount include ‘Tulsa King’ and ‘Landman.’ In addition to TV shows, he will make movies for NBCUniversal.
- Taylor Sheridan will join NBCUniversal after his Paramount contract expires.
- Sheridan will create films for Universal Pictures and TV content for NBC and the Peacock streaming service.
- NBCUniversal also signed a first-look deal with Sheridan’s production partner 101 Studios, effective in 2026.
Prolific movie and television producer Taylor Sheridan, known for hits including “Yellowstone,” “Tulsa King” and “Landman,” has signed a deal to join NBCUniversal when his contract with Paramount expires, according to people familiar with the matter.
Sheridan has become one of the most reliable creators and producers for Paramount over the past several years and has been one of the biggest providers of shows for the Paramount+ streaming service.
Sheridan’s departure is a potentially big blow to Paramount. However, he will stay involved in all his shows there and won’t depart for NBCUniversal until 2029, after his current contract expires, the people familiar with the matter said.
At NBCUniversal, Sheridan will create films for its movie studio Universal Pictures as well as TV content for NBC and the Peacock streaming service.
News of Sheridan’s eventual exit was earlier reported by Puck.
Sheridan’s decision to leave comes less than three months after David Ellison’s Skydance Media acquired control of Paramount from Shari Redstone’s National Amusements.
Ellison previously said in an interview with CNBC soon after closing the Paramount acquisition that he hoped to keep Sheridan making shows for the company for many years to come.
Known for shows featuring old-school and frequently older male heroes often confronting changing times, Sheridan was initially seen as making shows that appealed more to middle America than coastal elites. However as his shows have become more popular, his audience in urban markets grew.
Besides his television shows, Sheridan’s film credits include “Sicario” and “Hell or High Water.”
While his shows are successful in the ratings, they are also costly to produce. In 2023, a Wall Street Journal article detailed the inner workings of Sheridan’s operation including how the writer-producer has far more freedom than most producers. He often shoots at ranches he owns in Texas where he can bill Paramount as much as $50,000 a week, the Journal reported.
NBCUniversal has also signed a first-look deal with Sheridan’s longtime production partner 101 Studios that takes effect in 2026.