Yellowstone spinoff.

Now, a report by Puck claims that this show could cause a legal battle with Peacock. Currently, Paramount has a deal with Peacock that allows the service to include all the episodes of the main Yellowstone show on its platform. This deal was struck before Paramount+ existed. While NBC Universal has not yet commented directly on the situation, the source was informed that the company would try to fight Paramount+ on the issue if they try to bar the next installment of Yellowstone from Peacock.

What This Means For The Yellowstone Spinoff's Future

The Show May Include Yellowstone In The Title

Ultimately, the outcome of this debate will come down to whether the next installment of the series is deemed a legally distinct spinoff series or functionally Yellowstone season 6. While it makes sense that the spinoff series might include some characters from the original show, this Yellowstone spinoff is slated to include not only Beth and Rip, but other main characters as well. To complicate this even more, this weekend's episode of Yellowstone has been marketed as a season finale, rather than a series finale.

Another hangup could be reports that the Beth and Rip show intends to include Yellowstone in the title. While the series' announcement did not call it Yellowstone season 6, including the mothership show's name in that of the new series might complicate the legality even more. It is still possible for Paramount+ to try to pivot in this respect, as they could easily remove Yellowstone from the title if that would avoid the legal battle.

Our Take On The Yellowstone Debacle

Paramount+ May Have To Pivot Strategies

Given the shared name, season 5 marketing, and an abundance of common characters, it makes sense why NBCU might take issue with the new Yellowstone series' distinctness from the mothership. After all, the crux of this debate stems from the fact that the Yellowstone name carries immense weight in the TV industry right now, as the Taylor Sheridan-created series continues to dominate streaming charts. This will likely force Paramount+ to either have to pivot strategies for the series significantly or allow Peacock to stream the new series, both of which might be undesirable for them.

Source: Puck