The Last Cowboy Is Paramount Network’s Most-Watched Original Series Premiere Since Yellowstone

The series premiere of The Last Cowboy delivered 801,000 total viewers with L+3 playback, making it Paramount Network’s most-watched original series premiere since Yellowstone last summer and the brand’s most-watched unscripted series premiere since Ink Master: Redemption in September 2015.

Compared to Paramount Network’s 2019 prime average (7 p.m. to midnight), The Last Cowboy increased ratings double digits across all key demos in L+3, including P18-49 (.28 rating, +19%), M18-49 (.28 rating, +16%), W18-49 (.28 rating, +22%), P25-54 (.40 rating, +41%), M25-54 (.41 rating, +39%), and W25-54 (.39 rating, +43%). The new series puts center stage the real-life men and women who compete on the professional reining circuit – a Western-based competition where riders guide horses through a precise pattern of circles, spins and stops – as they prepare for the biggest bout in the sport’s history: “The Run for a Million.”

The Last Cowboy premiered on Paramount Network Wednesday, July 24 at 11 p.m. ET/PT, immediately following Yellowstone, cable’s most-watched summer series currently airing its second season. The July 24 episode of Yellowstone drew 4.7 million total viewers and was the #1 cable cast among P18-49 (1.8 L+3 rating) and P25-54 (2.4 L+3 rating) for the night.

Through the first five episodes of Yellowstone season two, the series continues to pace significantly ahead of season one to-date averages across key demos. In season two, the series is averaging a 1.76 rating with P18-49 (up +50%), a 2.55 with P25-54 (+46%), 1.80 with M18-49 (+45%), 1.72 with W18-49 (+54%), 2.63 with M25-54 (+40%), 2.48 with W25-54 (+54%), and 4.9M total viewers (up +10%).

Both The Last Cowboy and Yellowstone come to Paramount Network from Academy Award^®-nominee Taylor Sheridan, writer of Hell or High Water and Sicario and writer/director of Wind River. New episodes of Yellowstone premiere Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT, followed by new episodes of The Last Cowboy at 11 p.m. ET/PT.

Paramount Network recently ordered a 10-episode third season of the series. Yellowstone stars world-renowned actor and Oscar®-winner Kevin Costner as John Dutton, who controls the largest contiguous ranch in the United States. Yellowstone is co-created by critically-acclaimed, Oscar®-nominated screenwriter Taylor Sheridan and John Linson. The impressive cast list for Yellowstone also includes Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, Brecken Merrill, Jefferson White, Danny Huston and Gil Birmingham. Neal McDonough joined the cast for season two.

Yellowstone headlines Paramount Network’s scripted roster, which also includes the following upcoming projects: Coyote, from Michelle MacLaren and starring Michael Chiklis; Paradise Lost (working title), from Rodes Fishburne, Arika Lisanne Mittman and John Lee Hancock; 68 Whiskey, from Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment; Sexy Beast, a series adaptation of the critically-acclaimed and award-winning feature film; as well as the new Darren Star series, Emily in Paris starring Lily Collins.

The Last Cowboy is produced for Paramount Network by Truly Original with Glenda Hersh, Steven Weinstock, Brian Catalina, Michelle Schiefen, Julie “Bob” Lombardi and Christy Wegener serving as executive producers. Taylor Sheridan, 101 Studios and David C. Glasser serve as executive producers. Tori Socha oversees the production for Paramount Network.

Yellowstone is co-produced by 101 Studios.  Executive producers for Yellowstone are John Linson, Art Linson, Taylor Sheridan, Kevin Costner, David C. Glasser and Bob Yari.

About Paramount Network

Paramount Network is a premium entertainment destination that pushes the limits of storytelling with bold original scripted and non-scripted series. Inspired by over a century of cinema, Paramount Network is where today’s brightest stars bring the experience of the big screen to every screen with stories that are immersive, inclusive, and deeply personal. A subsidiary of Viacom Inc., Paramount Network has a global reach of 237 million households across 118 countries. For up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs visit Paramount Network’s press site at paramountnetwork.com/press and follow us on Twitter at @ParamountNetPR for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

About Truly Original

Truly Original creates a broad range of scripted and unscripted programming for television and digital platforms. Run by Emmy^® Award-winning producers Glenda Hersh and Steven Weinstock, who serve as Truly Original’s co-presidents and CEOs, the company is a subsidiary of Endemol Shine North America. In addition to The Last Cowboy, Truly Original’s series include Ink Master and Ink Master: Grudge Match for Paramount Network; Deal or No Deal for CNBC, hosted by Howie Mandel; The Real Housewives of Atlanta, The Real Housewives of Potomac, Don’t Be Tardy, Shahs of Sunset and Summer House for Bravo; Basketball Wives for VH1; To Have & To Hold: Charlotte for OWN; Swamp People for History; Teen Mom: Young Moms Club for MTV; and many others.

About 101 Studios

101 Studios is a global entertainment company dedicated to the acquisition, financing, development, production and distribution of high-caliber, creator-driven storytelling. Formed by veteran film and television executives David Glasser and David Hutkin in 2019, the studio empowers content creators through first-class collaboration and innovation. Inaugural releases include Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s The Current War, featuring Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Shannon, and the second season of Taylor Sheridan’s modern-day western series Yellowstone, starring Kevin Costner.