The airing of Yellowstone season 1 and Yellowstone season 2 has been a big boost for CBS in fall 2023 as the primetime TV lineup was impacted by the writers and actors strikes for new labor deals. With Yellowstone season 2 having aired its season finale on December 3 and the strikes over, can viewers expect Yellowstone season 3 to come to CBS as well?
Yellowstone is a neo-western created by Taylor Sheridan and starring Kevin Costner as John Dutton, the patriarch of a family that owns one of the largest ranches in the US. However, this fact makes them a target from various groups that want to take the land from them. John, his children (played by Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley) and those loyal to him (Cole Hauser's Rip) will do whatever it takes to protect the ranch.
The is a Paramount Network original series, as all episodes originally aired on the cable channel, as will the final batch of episodes making up Yellowstone season 5, the show's final season. However, when CBS opted to air the first two Yellowstone seasons on its flagship network, it opened the series up to a wider audience who never saw it on its initial cable run or on streaming, with the ratings to prove it. But are those new fans to the show going to be able to watch Yellowstone season 3 on CBS? Here's what we know.
Is Yellowstone season 3 airing on CBS?
Yes, more Yellowstone is coming to CBS.
The network announced on December 4, the day after Yellowstone season 2 episode 10 (that season's finale) aired, that Yellowstone season 3 would premiere on CBS on Sunday, January 14, with the first three episodes all airing back-to-back-to-back starting at 8 pm ET/PT. CBS will then air the next three episodes on Sunday, January 21, again starting at 8 pm ET/PT. Then the schedule gets a bit of a tweak. Two episodes will air on Sunday, January 28, starting at 8 pm ET/PT, followed by the final two episodes of Yellowstone season 3 on Monday, January 29, starting at 9 pm ET/PT. Here is a detailed look at the full schedule:
Sunday, January 14
- Yellowstone season 3 episode 1, "You're the Indian Now," 8 pm ET/PT
- Yellowstone season 3 episode 2, "Freight Trains and Monsters," 9 pm ET/PT
- Yellowstone season 3 episode 3, "An Acceptable Surrender," 10 pm ET/PT
Sunday, January 21
- Yellowstone season 3 episode 4, "Going Back to Cali," 8 pm ET/PT
- Yellowstone season 3 episode 5, "Cowboys and Dreamers," 9 pm ET/PT
- Yellowstone season 3 episode 6, "All for Nothing," 10 pm ET/PT
Sunday, January 28
- Yellowstone season 3 episode 7, "The Beating," 8 pm ET/PT
- Yellowstone season 3 episode 8, "I Killed a Man Today," 9 pm ET/PT
Monday, January 29
- Yellowstone season 3 episode 9, "Meaner Than Evil," 9 pm ET/PT
- Yellowstone season 3 episode 10, "The World Is Purple," 10 pm ET/PT
If you're wondering why Yellowstone season 3 isn't starting sooner, CBS's lineup is already pretty stacked for the next few weeks. On December 10 the network is airing A Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip Hop TV special, followed by a rerun of The Equalizer. On December 17 there is Willie Nelson's 90th Birthday Celebration and a Young Sheldon rerun. Then we get into the holidays; on December 24 two holiday-themed episodes of game shows Lingo and Lotería Loca air, plus a CSI: Vegas rerun, followed by New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash on December 31.
That takes us into 2024. That first Sunday, January 7, is now booked as CBS has become the new TV home for the Golden Globes, which take place on January 7.
But then it's time to get back into Yellowstone. Many can make it a full day on the network as CBS is also going to have an NFL playoff game on each of those Sundays (time to be determined).
After Yellowstone season 3 concludes its run on CBS, the network will begin rolling out its winter/spring TV season, which will see the return of scripted TV shows that were postponed because of the strikes. On Sundays this is going to include The Equalizer season 4, CSI: Vegas season 3 and the new series Tracker.
That raises some questions as to if/when Yellowstone season 4 will air on CBS, though there's no info one way or the other right now on that.
So, if you've been enjoying Yellowstone on CBS, more is on the way starting January 14. If you don't want to wait that long, you can catch up with Yellowstone season 1-5 on Peacock in the US.
