Paramount is set to lose its most prolific television creator, Taylor Sheridan, who has finalized a long-term film and television deal with NBCUniversal, Deadline has confirmed.
The substantial five-year overall deal for film, TV, and streaming is scheduled to begin on January 1, 2029, following the conclusion of Sheridan’s current overall TV deal with Paramount, which runs through 2028.
Joining Sheridan at NBCUniversal is his longtime collaborator and producing partner David Glasser, along with Glasser’s 101 Studios. Glasser has signed a first-look film and TV deal with the new studio, set to begin in early 2026 after his company fulfills its remaining commitments to Paramount.
As Deadline reported, the new agreement could reach as high as $1 billion, a major increase from Sheridan’s most recent TV overall deal at Paramount Global, believed to be worth $200 million back in 2021.
This development underscores the high stakes and intensity of the current era in talent competition, which escalated following Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount Global in August.
One of the combined company’s first major moves was the poaching of Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer from Netflix, securing them with a similarly massive four-year exclusive film and TV deal.
Sheridan’s departure, first reported by Puck, is especially surprising given that the new Paramount regime had made it clear from day one that he was their top creator and someone they intended to retain for the long term. Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison called him “a singular genius with a perfect track record.”
However, the Skydance-Paramount merger brought significant executive changes, including the departures of Paramount Global co-CEO Chris McCarthy and Paramount Media Networks & Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios COO Keyes Hill-Edgar.
Both executives had previously bet on Sheridan, granting him his first TV overall deal and remaining closely involved in his projects.
The previous regime was known for providing Sheridan considerable leeway with budgets and production control, with costs sometimes reaching $20 million per episode and many shows filmed at Sheridan’s ranches. Earlier this year, Sheridan, in partnership with Glasser, also launched a new studio facility in Texas.
While costly, Sheridan’s projects have consistently proven successful. Beginning with Yellowstone, he has delivered numerous hits, with his slate of series for Paramount+ regularly ranking among the streamer’s top performers and serving as a key driver for new subscribers.
“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, The Dutton Ranch (aka Beth & Rip), The Madison for Paramount+, and Y: Marshals for CBS, along with the music reality series The Road, also for CBS.
He is expected to deliver additional seasons of his ongoing hits and new series to Paramount over the next three years, leaving at least a dozen shows with the company before transitioning to NBCUniversal. This timeline also gives Paramount+’s new leadership an opportunity to develop a slate of non-Sheridan content.
Meanwhile, Sheridan already has a presence at NBCUniversal, as the original Yellowstone series streams on Peacock and ranks among the platform’s most popular offerings.