Paramount will lose its most prolific television creator, Taylor Sheridan, who has closed a long-term film and television deal with NBCUniversal, Deadline has confirmed.
The massive five-year overall deal for film, TV and streaming, will begin Jan. 1, 2029 after Sheridan’s overall TV deal with Paramount ends. (It goes through 2028.) Also moving to NBCUniversal is Sheridan’s close collaborator and producing partner David Glasser and his 101 Studios. Glasser has signed a first-look film and TV deal with the new studio that will begin in early 2026, after his company fulfills its current obligations to Paramount.
This is a shocker that underscores the high stakes and intensity of the new era in the talent wars that commenced with Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount Global in August. In one of the combined company’s first major moves, it poached Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer from their longtime home, Netflix, with a similarly massive exclusive four-year film and TV deal.
Sheridan’s departure, first reported by Puck, is also surprising as the new Paramount regime made it clear on Day 1 that he was the top creator on their roster and someone they were looking to keep in the fold for a long time; Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison called him “a singular genius with a perfect track record.”
But the Skydance-Paramount merger came with top executive changes too, including the departure of Paramount Global co-CEO Chris McCarthy who was directly involved in the Taylor Sheridan business. The previous regime was known for giving Sheridan a lot of leeway with budgets and control over production, with costs running high and shows often filmed at Sheridan’s ranches. In partnership with Glasser, Sheridan earlier this year launched new studio facility in Texas.
While pricey, Sheridan’s shows have also been very successful. Starting with Yellowstone, Sheridan has launched a slew of hits, with his slate of series for Paramount+ consistently among the streamer’s top performers.
“On Paramount+ today, we have a really great foundation, which is the Taylor Sheridan universe,” Paramount’s Chair of Direct-to-Consumer Cindy Holland said in August.
Sheridan’s current Paramount series include Mayor of Kingstown, Landman, Lioness, Tulsa King and three upcoming Yellowstone spinoffs, Beth & Rip and The Madison for Paramount+ and Y: Marshals for CBS.
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