The long-awaited return of Yellowstone has finally happened, and the hotly anticipated television event was a ratings smash for Paramount Network.
Yellowstone’s Season 5, Part 2 premiered on Sunday (Nov. 10), and as Variety reports, Nielsen data indicates that the initial airing scored 5.85 million on Paramount alone, while 5.4 million viewers tuned in to watch on CBS that same night.
The episode also aired via multiple other networks, including MTV and CMT, totaling roughly 13.62 million viewers, according to Nielsen.
READ MORE: The Most Epic Deaths in Yellowstone History
The numbers are even larger according to VideoAmp, which estimated 16.4 million viewers across all of the various platforms and the encore airings later Sunday evening.
According to Paramount, those numbers make the Season 5, Part 2 premiere the most-watched premiere episode in the history of Yellowstone.
Fans have waited for a year for new episodes of Yellowstone, and during that time, Kevin Costner and the show’s producers came to a parting of the ways due to conflict around his shooting schedule.
His character of patriarch John Dutton was found dead of an apparent suicide in the opening scene of Sunday’s premiere, but it was later revealed that he’d been killed by an assassin hired by Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri) — which appeared to be surprise Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) as much as anyone.
Yellowstone’s Season 5 will continue to air on Sunday nights on Paramount Network.
PICTURES: Get a First Look at ‘Yellowstone’ Season 5, Part 2 Yellowstone is gearing up to return for the much-anticipated second half of Season 5, and Paramount Network has shared several never-before-seen photos as a first look at the upcoming episodes. Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
PICTURES: See Inside Kevin Costner’s Spectacular Colorado Ranch Yellowstone star Kevin Costner lives the ranch life when he’s off the set of the hit show, too. The Oscar-winning actor owns a 160-acre ranch in Aspen, Colo., that’s a spectacular getaway, complete with a main residence, a lake house and a river house.
The luxury retreat also features a baseball field, a sledding hill, an ice rink, multiple hot tubs and views of the Continental Divide. The ranch property comfortably sleeps 27 people, and it’s currently available to rent for 36,000 a night. Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
PICTURES: See Inside ‘Yellowstone’ Star Cole Hauser’s Spectacular California Ranch Cole Hauser doesn’t just play a rancher on Yellowstone, he’s lived that life off-screen, too. The actor’s 5-bedroom-6-bathroom, 5,402-square-foot rural home on a very private, double-gated three-acre parcel of land includes the lavish 4-bedroom, 4-bathroom main residence, as well as a guest house and a separate studio apartment. The main house runs completely on solar power and comes with a 3-car garage, with easy transitions between indoor and outdoor living spaces, and the exterior of the property includes a pool area and a hot tub, as well as fenced-in horse corrals. Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
See Inside ‘Yellowstone’ Star Ryan Bingham’s Gorgeous $2.45 Million Estate Yellowstone star and singer-songwriter Ryan Bingham has listed his 3-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom, 2,394-square-foot home in an exclusive area of Los Angeles for sale, and pictures show a beautiful, luxurious property that offers stunning mountain views. Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
PICTURES: See Inside ‘Yellowstone’ Star Hassie Harrison’s Spectacular $2.7 Million Villa Yellowstone star Hassie Harrison is selling her stunning villa in a private California canyon, and pictures show a rare property that’s worth every penny of her nearly $2.7 million asking price.
Harrison’s 3-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom, 2,579-square-foot home was built in 1958 and has since been updated into a Mediterranean-style villa.
The property is remarkably secluded, with just one small, private road leading to the gated front of the home. It opens onto soaring canyon views at the back of the property, and almost every interior room boasts stunning views out over the canyons, while the exterior boasts outdoor living spaces, a fireplace and more. Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
PICTURES: See Inside ‘Yellowstone’ Actor Barret Swatek’s $100 Million Malibu Estate Yellowstone actor Barret Swatek is selling her spectacular oceanfront estate in Malibu, and pictures show a bedazzling property that’s one of the most upper-crust properties even in that illustrious zip code.
Swatek and her husband, former hedge fund manager Adam Weiss, are asking for just under $100 million for their 4-bedroom, 5.5-bathoom, 7,450-square-foot contemporary villa that sits directly beachside on the white sands of El Sol Beach, one of the most exclusive spots even according to Malibu standards. Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
You Can Rent a Cabin on the Ranch From ‘Yellowstone’ – See Pictures The stunning Montana ranch that serves as the setting for the hit TV show Yellowstone offers cabins for rent, and the price includes tours of the set and ranch. Scroll below to see photos of the extraordinary property. Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
Sterling Whitaker is a Senior Writer and Senior Editor for Taste of Country. He focuses on celebrity real estate, as well as coverage of Yellowstone and related shows like 1883 and 1923. He’s interviewed cast members including Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly, Sam Elliott and Harrison Ford, and Whitaker is also known for his in-depth interviews with country legends including Don Henley, Rodney Crowell, Trace Adkins, Ronnie Milsap, Ricky Skaggs and more.