Taylor Sheridan's Big Move: What It Means for TV

Taylor Sheridan, the mastermind behind hits like "Yellowstone" and "Tulsa King, " is switching teams. He's leaving Paramount for NBCUniversal, but there's a twist. His current deal with Paramount doesn't end until 2028, so he'll start his new gig in 2029. This move is a big win for NBCUniversal and its streaming service, Peacock, but it's a tough loss for Paramount. Sheridan's journey is impressive. In just seven years, he's built a massive portfolio of popular and expensive shows. After "Yellowstone" became a hit in 2018, he opened the floodgates to more projects like "Mayor of Kingstown, " "Lioness, " and "1923. " His new deal with NBCUniversal will let him create both movies and TV shows, but the financial details aren't clear yet.Donna Langley, the entertainment chairman at NBCUniversal, played a key role in this deal. She's known for her close relationships with big directors and took full control of NBCUniversal's TV properties last year. This move shows that NBCUniversal is still serious about entertainment, even after making huge deals in sports. For Paramount, this is a setback. The company is already planning layoffs and has been on a spending spree under new leadership. However, any series Sheridan creates before 2029 will still belong to Paramount. This means the company will own any future episodes of ongoing series he's involved in. Sheridan's close working relationship with Chris McCarthy, the former Paramount co-CEO, adds another layer to this story. McCarthy left the company in August, just as Sheridan's future was being decided. This move is a big shift in the TV industry, showing how producers can still make waves even in a changing market.