Paramount is set to lose one of its most successful television creators, Taylor Sheridan, who has reached a new long-term film and television agreement with NBCUniversal.
The five-year overall deal, valued at up to $1 billion, will take effect on Jan. 1, 2029, after Sheridan's existing contract with Paramount concludes in 2028, Deadline reported.
Sheridan's producing partner, David Glasser, and his company, 101 Studios, will also transition to NBCUniversal under a first-look film and television deal.
That agreement will begin in early 2026, once Glasser fulfills his current commitments to Paramount.
The move marks one of the most significant creative talent shifts in Hollywood since Skydance's acquisition of Paramount Global in August.
The merger has fueled a new wave of competition for top creative talent. In one of its first major moves, the combined Skydance-Paramount company signed "Stranger Things" creators Matt and Ross Duffer to an exclusive four-year film and television deal, ending their long relationship with Netflix.
Sheridan's departure was despite new leadership at Paramount making it clear they wanted to keep him on board, publicly praising his record and creative impact within weeks of the merger.
Skydance-Paramount CEO David Ellison previously described Sheridan as "a singular genius with a perfect track record."
Executive changes following the merger may have influenced the outcome.
The departures of Paramount Global co-CEO Chris McCarthy and COO Keyes Hill-Edgar, both instrumental in launching Sheridan's television career, influenced the studio's creative leadership.
During their time there, Sheridan had wide creative freedom and substantial budgets, with some productions reaching $20 million per episode and frequently shot on his Texas ranches.
While expensive to produce, Sheridan's shows have delivered some of Paramount's strongest returns.
"Yellowstone" and its spinoffs have consistently ranked among the top performers on Paramount+.
"On Paramount+ today, we have a really great foundation, which is the Taylor Sheridan universe," Paramount Direct-to-Consumer Chair Cindy Holland said in August.
Sheridan currently oversees several Paramount series, including "Mayor of Kingstown," "Landman," "Lioness," and "Tulsa King," along with three upcoming "Yellowstone" spinoffs and the CBS reality series "The Road."
He will continue producing new seasons and series for Paramount over the next three years, leaving behind an expansive catalog of shows still on the air.
NBCUniversal already distributes the flagship "Yellowstone" series through its Peacock streaming service, where it remains one of the platform's top titles.
"I spent the first 37 years of my life compromising," Sheridan told The Hollywood Reporter in 2023. "When I quit acting, I decided that I am going to tell my stories my way, period.
"If you don't want me to tell them, fine. Give them back and I'll find someone who does — or I won't, and then I'll read them in some freaking dinner theater. But I won't compromise. There is no compromising."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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