If you thought that Kevin Costner's departure from Yellowstone, or the fact that Taylor Sheridan will be leaving Paramount in favor of his new deal with NBCUniversal, would've contributed to the franchise's demise, you'd be wrong. Two Yellowstone sequels have made waves this year, and now both find themselves thoroughly fixed in Paramount+'s official "Top 10." This comes on the heels of other franchise milestones, like 1923 becoming the most-watched premiere on Paramount+, and rides against the narrative that these Yellowstone spin-offs can't live up to the original.

The Yellowstone franchise will continue regardless of creator Taylor Sheridan's involvement; that's the message Paramount sent out following the shocking announcement that Sheridan will be departing the studio to begin a new creative collaboration with NBCUniversal. The Madison, which was initially reported to be a part of the sprawling Yellowstone franchise, was eventually revealed to be a standalone project. It remains the only new Paramount+ show that had Sheridan's direct creative involvement. The upcoming series Dutton Ranch, which serves as a follow-up to Yellowstone, is created by Chad Feehan. Not a single one of its episodes has been written by Sheridan, who has developed a reputation for taking sole credit for his work. But the Yellowstone franchise's post-Sheridan era began earlier this year with a procedural series that defied poor reviews and found a loyal audience.

It's commonly joked that Taylor Sheridan keeps Paramount+ in business because, at any given time, he has three or more shows trending on the streamer's top ten. The prolific writer-director has delivered more hits for Paramount+ than any other creator, and even as he prepares to depart the company for NBCUniversal, the numbers keep rolling in. Yellowstone remains his most popular series to date, spawning numerous successful spin-offs. However, the latest entrant into this universe sends the franchise into the stratosphere.