The premiere of the Yellowstone prequel, 1883, set a new record on the Paramount+ network with its December 19 premiere.
According to Deadline, Sunday’s premiere of 1883 made history as the most watched original series premiere on Paramount+.
Nielsen reported that the premiere drew in 4.9 million total views in Live+Same Day, more than doubling the previous viewership record, and marking the biggest new series premiere on cable since 2015’s Into The Badlands and The Walking Dead.
“The results of 1883’s debut are truly phenomenal,” said Tanya Giles, Chief Programming Officer, ViacomCBS Streaming. “The day 1 streaming numbers coupled with the results of the linear sampling effort, and social response from our audience show the tremendous promise for this series.”
“The success of Taylor Sheridan’s 1883 is another proof point of our unique model to leverage our linear platforms and franchise our biggest hits to supercharge Paramount+,” added Chris McCarthy, President and CEO ViacomCBS Media Networks.
Other premiere highlights include:
Tracking ahead of “Yellowstone” S1 premiere on key demos:
+125% with P18-49 (1.49 vs. 0.66)
+135% with P25-54 (2.39 vs. 1.02)
6.4 million viewers across the night (premieres, simulcast + encores)
5.5 million viewers for the premiere + simulcast
Created by Taylor Sheridan, 1883 features country superstars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill alongside cast mates Sam Elliot, Billy Bob Thornton, Isabel May, LaMonica Garrett, Audie Rick, Marc Rissmann, Eric Nelsen and James Landry Hébert.
According to a press release, “1883 follows the Dutton family as they embark on a journey west through the Great Plains toward the last bastion of untamed America. It is a stark retelling of Western expansion, and an intense study of one family fleeing poverty to seek a better future in America’s promised land — Montana.”
For McGraw and Hill, taking on roles in the new series was a dream come true.
“We were in bed last night and talked for two hours because we got so caught up in the moment that we almost couldn’t even remember it,” McGraw recently shared with Parade. “I told her, ‘This is incredible. How many married couples ever get a chance to do what we’re doing right now?’”
The country superstars couldn’t help but to gush over their on-screen talents, with Hill sharing, “When I watch him, I’m in awe,” she says. “This is his wheelhouse!”
McGraw also complimented his wife saying, “We were face to face and staring into each other’s eyes, and I walked away going, ‘Damn, my wife is good.’”
As one of the year’s most anticipated shows, 1883, executive produced by Taylor Sheridan, John Linson, Art Linson, David Glasser, Ron Burkle and Bob Yari, certainly lived up to its hype.
