Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Dustin Rowles | TV | October 28, 2025
It’s been a day since Puck broke the news that Taylor Sheridan was leaving Paramount+, the platform that practically runs on Sheridan content, for the greener pastures of NBCUniversal. Much greener, it turns out. Sheridan’s new deal is reportedly worth $1 billion, twice the size of his Paramount+ contract. It’s hilarious, however, that Paramount spent $1.5 billion on the streaming rights to South Park, which airs only ten new episodes a year, yet couldn’t find a way to keep the guy who essentially creates ten seasons of television annually. (That may be an exaggeration, but not by much.)
Here’s what we’ve learned: Sheridan will continue overseeing his existing Paramount+ shows until his deal expires in 2028, after which he’s expected to create 20 new series for NBCUniversal over five years. Honestly, Sheridan could probably write 20 shows in his sleep. He watches The O.C. or Beverly Hills, 90210, reimagines those characters in the old west or the new west or puts them to work drilling for oil. And I’m a sucker for it.
The split appears to have been driven by David Ellison, the new owner of Paramount+, who didn’t show Sheridan the level of respect he’s accustomed to. Sheridan is a prideful man, and he’s used to having the run of the place. But Ellison wanted to rein in budgets. According to the WSJ, Sheridan was particularly irritated when Ellison tried to cut the budget for the next season of Lioness, and even more so when Paramount cast Nicole Kidman in another series without consulting him, given that she already appears (sparingly) in Lioness.
Sheridan also wasn’t thrilled with Ellison’s creative input, including a suggestion for a show tied to America’s 250th anniversary. Sheridan writes red-state entertainment, sure, but he’s not interested in being overtly political (though the politics of Landman might suggest otherwise).
He was further frustrated that Ellison prioritized extending NFL rights over re-signing the guy who basically runs Paramount’s scripted division. And he didn’t appreciate that Ellison dismissed the executive who had shepherded all his projects through production. David Ellison apparently learned exactly what Kevin Costner learned last year: Taylor Sheridan doesn’t appreciate pushback.
Those grievances ultimately led Sheridan to walk, and NBCUniversal’s Donna Langley was more than happy to give him the creative freedom he wanted, beating out other suitors, including Warner Brothers David Zaslav, who reportedly gave him a pair of boots owned by James Dean. My guess is that Sheridan didn’t want to go to Warner Brothers Discovery, in part, because it may be absorbed by Paramount soon, anyway.
Will he replicate his success? Probably. Sheridan has a knack for attracting A-list talent - Harrison Ford, Kevin Costner, Helen Mirren, Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Hamm, Zoe Saldaña, Nicole Kidman - and that kind of star power tends to elevate his material. Plus, his formula works. Aside from one slight misfire (Bass Reeves), he’s got one of the most consistent track records in the business.
