‘Yellowstone’ Prequel ‘1923’ Draws Big Premiere Audience

The premiere of 1923, the star-driven Yellowstone prequel, drew a sizable cross-platform audience Sunday night.

Paramount Global says 7.4 million people watched the premiere episode, starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren as ancestors of Yellowstone’s Dutton family. That figure includes four cable telecasts — three on Paramount Network and one on CMT — plus streaming on Paramount+, where 1923 will run for the remainder of its season. The first airing on Paramount Network drew 4.12 million viewers, making it the most watched series premiere on cable in 2022. CMT’s simulcast of the premiere brought in 559,000 viewers for a total of 4.68 million — about 63 percent of the total for the night. The rest came from replays and streaming.

Sunday’s Yellowstone, which led into 1923, averaged 7.72 million viewers on Paramount Net, in line with its performance the past couple weeks.

“Anchored by Taylor Sheridan’s incredible vision and the performances of legends Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford, we felt confident this next chapter of the Dutton Family origin story would resonate with audiences,” said Tanya Giles, chief programming officer at Paramount Streaming. “We are thrilled with the record-breaking early response to the first episode and can’t wait to introduce more audiences to this incredible journey of perseverance, heartbreak and adventure set amongst the backdrop of the Mountain West.”

Added Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Paramount Media Networks and MTV Entertainment Studios, “The Yellowstone universe continues to break records, with our latest chapter, 1923, scoring as the most watched premiere ever on Paramount+ and debuting as the #1 new cable premiere of the year on linear. Taylor Sheridan continues to tap a cultural nerve that has proven irresistible to viewers from across the country and around the world, with this newest installment showing no signs of slowing down — proving yet again the power of our franchise strategy to fuel the future of Paramount+.”

The 1923 cast also includes Darren Mann, Michelle Randolph, James Badge Dale, Marley Shelton, Brian Geraghty, Aminah Nieves and Jerome Flynn. Sheridan executive produces with John Linson, Art Linson, David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, David Hutkin, Bob Yari and Ben Richardson; MTV Entertainment Studios, 101 Studios and Bosque Ranch Productions produce.

Dec. 20, 8:45 a.m. Updated with final ratings for Sunday.