'Yellowstone' prequel '1923' roars on premiere, smashes Paramount+ records

Yellowstone prequel 1923 drew strong viewership numbers, marking Paramount+'s biggest debut ever.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 1923 premiere on Sunday night bagged 7.4 million viewers across linear telecasts and streaming. The number is derived from both the data of Nielson and Paramount.

"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 against the backdrop of the Mountain West."

The universe of Taylor Sheridan shows to expand, as the 1923 prequel Yellowstone raked in 2.8 million on its premiere on Paramount in 2018.

The neo-Western drama's popularity has steadily increased since then, with the Season 5 premiere netted 10.3 million viewers.