Landman is the most successful show made by Taylor Sheridan, according to recent viewership data. While audiences anticipate Landman season 2, it’s worth taking a moment to celebrate the show’s tremendous success.

The Billy Bob Thornton-led oil drama was often hailed as the “next Yellowstone” during its run, but it would have been hard to predict that it would actually outperform the final season of the neo-Western that made Taylor Sheridan the television titan he’s now known as.

Billy Bob Thornton in Landman

With 15.8 million viewers, Landman is the only Taylor Sheridan or Paramount+ show to make it into the top 10 on a new report covering the 2024-2025 TV season (via Variety).

This information is collected by Nielsen’s ratings, which gather viewership numbers from the opening 35 days following a show’s release.

This places Landman above the final seasons of Yellowstone and 1923, Tulsa King, and Special Ops: Lioness. The top 10 TV shows on the chart, as well as other Taylor Sheridan-produced shows and their respective rankings, can be seen on the graph below:

What Landman’s Viewership Numbers Mean

Landman Could Become Paramount+’s Marquee Attraction

Landman was a tremendous success for everyone involved, but no individual wins more than Paramount+ as a streaming service, which is trying to carve out its place in a flooded market.

As shown by the chart, five of the top ten shows watched in 2024-2025 are on Netflix, and other sites desperately need popular original content to compete. Essentially, all of Taylor Sheridan’s TV shows have been huge hits, with Special Ops: Lioness, which is arguably his worst show, still raking in nearly 8 million viewers this season.

While it may have seemed like Yellowstone was going to be the Taylor Sheridan franchise for years to come, Landman surpassing both Yellowstone season 5, part 2, and 1923 is meaningful, especially in its debut season.

Sheridan will certainly continue to develop his numerous ongoing Yellowstone spin-offs, but if Landman continues to grow with each season, it could become a behemoth worthy of spin-offs of its own.

Michelle Randolph in a close up as Ainsley Norris from Landman season 1 episode 1

Our Take On Landman’s Viewership Numbers

Landman Is Bigger Than Expected, But It Still Needs To Prove Itself

Tommy looks out the window during his deposition

I knew Landman was a hit, but I didn’t really realize how massive the show was. 15.8 million is a ridiculous number for a first-season show, especially for something not premiering on Netflix.

With all that in mind, I’m not ready to fully give it the Taylor Sheridan show crown just yet. Billy Bob Thornton was fantastic in season 1, but for Landman to stand the test of time, it’s going to need to utilize its ensemble better.

Sam Elliott joining the cast, along with more Demi Moore, could be what it needs.