More details on Taylor Sheridan’s big move are becoming available.
This past weekend, Deadline broke the news that Taylor Sheridan would be leaving his entertainment home of Paramount for a deal with NBCUniversal. The creator, writer and director is expected to finish out his TV contract with Paramount (through the end of 2028) and then take his talents to NBC at the beginning of 2029.
Sources are saying that he’ll actually start making movies for NBC Universal at the beginning of 2027, and that the movie side of the deal will run for eight years.
On the other hand, the overall deal that Sheridan has struck up with NBCUniversal to make TV shows will start on January 1, 2029, and will reportedly stretch five years… paying Taylor Sheridan somewhere around $1 billion. NBC will be trusting the entertainment genius to make television for their linear and streaming platforms. David Glasser, a close collaborator of Sheridan’s, will also be moving to NBCUniversal… as will Glasser’s 101 Studios.
And the deal with NBCUniversal seems rather simple really. All Taylor Sheridan has to do is bring NBC and Peacock 20 hit shows (he’s got over a dozen right now) over the time of his contract and he’ll get paid $1 billion big ones. Considering Sheridan is a prolific writer, and seemingly has a knack for connecting with audiences… I don’t think that’ll be a problem.
It’s an expensive move by NBCUniversal, but one that will most likely be lucrative in the long run.
One of the weirdest parts about this story? Paramount Skydance apparently never provided a counteroffer to Taylor Sheridan once the offers came in from NBCUniversal. That’s quite odd considering Paramount’s CEO David Ellison said this just a few months ago about Sheridan’s value to Paramount and its streaming service:
“He is literally a singular genius with a perfect track record. If we can make this his home as long as he wants to tell stories, we want to do that.”
So why would the Paramount Skydance CEO say that… then just let their “singular genius” walk?
Early reports suggested that Paramount Skydance wasn’t thrilled with how much Taylor Sheridan’s shows cost to make (1883 and 1923 cost almost $20 million an episode), and that’s why Sheridan and Paramount decided to part ways. And though that might have played a part in it, the Wall Street Journal has since reported that one, political disagreement drove a wedge between CEO David Ellison and Taylor Sheridan.
Ellison apparently requested that Sheridan make a series that was tied to and promoted America’s 250th anniversary next year. WSJ cited unnamed sources, which said that the Yellowstone creator refused to making anything that was “overtly political.” Sheridan has previously stated that he himself tries to be apolitical publicly, and designs his shows to showcase both conservative and progressive themes.
He seemingly leans a bit conservative, based on his interviews (like his conversation with Joe Rogan). But one could also make an argument that the Western cowboy thing immediately pegs Sheridan as a Republican in the minds of viewers. Then you watch Yellowstone and see the Duttons return the land to the Broken Rock Tribe and… well things are complicated politically.
And though that might not have been the main reason that Sheridan decided to leave Paramount for NBCUniversal, the writer and director not being on the same page with CEO David Ellison – and not wanting to take orders from him – certainly seems to have played a role in Sheridan leaving the company.
Only time will tell if Paramount will regret letting Taylor Sheridan walk away, or be happy that they didn’t back up the Brinks truck to make him stay.
