Paramount+ owes a lot of its success to Taylor Sheridan’s works, which have served as the cornerstone for the streaming service’s economics. While Yellowstone is arguably one of the network’s flagship IPs, which dominated cable TV for years, interestingly, in the streaming landscape, Tulsa King puts its enormous numbers to shame on one front.
Even though the Sylvester Stallone-led series is a far cry from Sheridan’s most revered tales, especially his westerns, despite his little creative input, the show has consistently drawn viewers, especially with season 2.
Tulsa King season 2 broke new ground for Paramount+
While westerns have been Taylor Sheridan‘s forte for the longest period, in recent years, the writer has branched out with shows like Mayor of Kingstown and Tulsa King, and the latter has grown its own cult following since its premiere.
Even though it didn’t break new ground with its mafia-driven narrative, season 1 proved to be entertaining nonetheless, and the show itself has been a revelation for Sylver Stallone‘s comedic and dramatic chops.
The immediate success also meant a season 2 was instantly greenlit, and given the hype surrounding season 2, the premiere itself broke new ground for Paramount+, pulling in a whopping $2M active viewers on premiere day.
Although 1923 drew a $7.4M viewership across Paramount+ and linear telecasts, considering the individual numbers weren’t unveiled, for now, Tulsa King maintains the all-time viewership feat for a premiere day on the streamer (via Deadline).
Given that season 2’s premiere witnessed a growth of 934% in its engagement compared to the first season (via NickAlive), it’s safe to say season 3 might replicate similar figures, if not more, as season 2 did end on a cliffhanger.
Sylvester Stallone was one silver lining across season 2’s highs and lows
Compared to the first season, Tulsa King season 2 fumbled the ball on a few fronts, especially with its presentation of the NYC mob and Neal McDonough’s Thresher.
But amidst all its shortcomings, the one consistent thing across the entirety of season 2 was Sylvester Stallone’s performance as Dwight, undoubtedly one of his most memorable roles in decades.
And given how intimately he was involved with Dwight’s characterization, it’s unsurprising to say the least. Recounting his involvement, Terence Winter added (via THR):
You don’t just get an actor with Sly. You get a director, a writer, a producer, an editor — he’s done everything. So he’s really an incredible partner to have, as he just understands the craft of filmmaking in general.
He understands who he is, what his audience wants to see, what works for him, and what doesn’t.
Hopefully, season 3 will improve upon the blemishes of this one, and given Stallone’s stature, there’s a good possibility that season 3 will surpass its predecessor in terms of Day 1 viewership.
