You’d think it would be simple. It’s a Paramount Network show. You open Paramount Plus, type in the name, and start binging. But then you realize you’ve made a huge mistake. Honestly, the streaming situation for this show is a total headache that makes no sense unless you were sitting in a corporate boardroom back in 2020.
If you're asking where do I stream Yellowstone right now in 2026, the short answer is Peacock. Not Paramount Plus. Yeah, I know. It’s weird.
While the spin-offs like 1883, 1923, and the newly released Michelle Pfeiffer-led series The Madison live happily on Paramount Plus, the flagship show—the one with Kevin Costner—is locked away behind a different paywall entirely. This is the result of a licensing deal signed years ago, before Paramount even knew they wanted their own streaming service. They basically handed the keys to their biggest kingdom to NBCUniversal, and they've been regretting it ever since.
Why Peacock is Your Primary Home for the Duttons
Right now, Peacock is the only place where you can find all five seasons of the original series. Every single episode, from the 90-minute pilot "Daybreak" all the way through the explosive conclusion of Season 5, Part 2, is sitting there.
If you’re looking to catch up, here is the current breakdown of what you'll find on the platform:
- Season 1 through Season 5 Part 1: These have been on the service for a while and are available for immediate binge-watching.
- Season 5 Part 2: After finishing its cable run on the Paramount Network, the final batch of episodes (including "Desire Is All You Need" and "The Apocalypse of Change") moved over to Peacock as of March 2025.
Basically, if you want the main story of John Dutton fighting to keep his ranch, you need a Peacock Premium or Premium Plus subscription. The "Plus" version is what you want if you can't stand ads interrupting a tense standoff between Beth and Jamie.
The Paramount Plus Trap
This is where people get tripped up. You see "Paramount" in the title of the network and assume the app follows suit. If you go to Paramount Plus looking for the original Yellowstone, you’re going to find a lot of things that look like it, but not the show itself.
You’ll see Tulsa King. You’ll see Mayor of Kingstown. You’ll definitely see the prequels.
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But no John Dutton.
The reason this matters is that Taylor Sheridan, the creator, is basically the king of Paramount Plus now. He has a massive deal to make content there. But because he made Yellowstone first, and the rights were sold to Peacock, the "parent" show is the only one not living in the Sheridanverse house. It’s a weird custody battle where the kids live with the dad, but the house itself belongs to the uncle.
Can You Watch Yellowstone for Free?
Kinda, but not really.
There was a time when the first episode was free on the Paramount Network website, but those days are mostly gone. Sometimes Peacock offers a "sample" of the first episode for free users, but they’ve tightened the belt lately.
If you still have a traditional cable login or a live TV streaming service like Philo, Fubo, or Hulu + Live TV, you can sometimes catch marathons on the Paramount Network channel. They love running 24-hour marathons during holiday weekends. But for on-demand streaming? You're paying for Peacock.
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Another option is buying the seasons outright. If you hate monthly subscriptions, you can grab the digital versions on Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV. It’s about $20-$30 per season, which sounds like a lot until you realize you’ll own it forever and won't have to worry about which streaming service loses the rights next year.
The International Scramble
Things get even more confusing if you aren't in the U.S.
In Australia, the show is on Stan. In the UK, it actually is on Paramount Plus because the licensing deals were negotiated differently overseas. This leads to a lot of misinformation online. Someone in London will tell you "It's on Paramount!" and they aren't lying—they just aren't in your zip code.
If you’re traveling, a lot of people use a VPN to make it look like they’re back home so they can access their specific library. It’s a common workaround for fans who find themselves in a country where the show isn't available at all.
What’s Next for the Franchise?
We are officially in the post-Kevin Costner era.
While the main show has wrapped up its primary run, the universe is expanding. The Madison is the big 2026 release, and it’s expected to be the spiritual successor to the main series. Since that’s a Paramount+ Original, you won’t have to hunt for it on Peacock.
Paramount Global's CFO, Naveen Chopra, has been pretty vocal about the fact that they are "no longer licensing big, franchise IP to third parties." They learned their lesson the hard way. From here on out, anything with the name "Dutton" or "Yellowstone" attached to it will almost certainly be exclusive to Paramount Plus from day one.
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Actionable Steps for Your Weekend Binge
If you’re ready to start watching today, don't waste time clicking through the wrong apps. Follow this checklist to get started:
- Check your current subscriptions: Do you already have Peacock for Sunday Night Football or The Office? If so, you’re already set. Just search for "Yellowstone."
- Verify the Season: If you're looking for the very newest episodes (Season 5, Part 2), make sure you have the Premium tier.
- Avoid the Prequel Confusion: If you want the origin story (1883), you need Paramount Plus. If you want the 1920s story (1923), you need Paramount Plus.
- Consider a Digital Purchase: If you plan on re-watching the show multiple times, buying the "Complete Series" bundle on a platform like Vudu or Apple TV is often cheaper than paying for a year of Peacock.
The "streaming wars" made this way more complicated than it needs to be, but at least now you know exactly which app to open. Grab some popcorn, settle in, and get ready for a lot of beautiful Montana scenery and a whole lot of family drama.