'Yellowstone' Puts Up Shocking Ratings After Controversial Ending

The series finale of "Yellowstone" put up some monster TV ratings.

The legendary neo-Western saga created by Taylor Sheridan wrapped up earlier in December, and it went out with a bang that seemingly divided many fans. Was it a great ending? A bad ending? Opinions are all over the place.

You can read my full breakdown and review here.

"Yellowstone" finale put up monster TV ratings.

Whether people liked the ending or not (I certainly did), there's no question plenty of people tuned in to see how the saga of the Duttons would end.

The Hollywood Reporter reported that a staggering 13.1 million people watched the finale just on the Paramount Network and CMT over the course of three days.

That data doesn't include anyone who might have streamed it on a different platform.  That's a record for the show over a period of three days.

"Yellowstone" is officially over after airing its series finale earlier in December. (Credit: Paramount Network)

The season 5B premiere is now sitting at more than 16 million viewers nearly two months after it aired. To put it as simply as possible, "Yellowstone" remained an absolute powerhouse on TV through its closing moments.

Many wondered how Kevin Costner leaving the series would impact its future. We can debate all day if the ending would have been different, but the ratings didn't dip at all.

In fact, they were as strong as ever. That means people loved the story of the Duttons and the world of "Yellowstone" more than they simply loved Kevin Costner being on the series.

Kevin Costner didn't return for the final six episodes of "Yellowstone." (Credit: Paramount Nework)

Where will the universe created by Sheridan go from here? Time will tell, but it certainly appears a spinoff is on the way. It will be interesting to see how that shakes out. Let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.