Taylor Sheridan’s $330 Million Ranch Purchase Triggers Exclusive Paramount Deal

Taylor Sheridan, the creator of the television series “Yellowstone,” said on the “Rodeo Time” podcast that his purchase of the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas for $330 million altered his retirement plans and led to an exclusive production deal with Paramount. Sheridan explained that he had intended to retire after “Yellowstone,” having already bought a smaller ranch in Weatherford, but the scale of the new acquisition required ongoing involvement.

He noted that the ranch, which was used as a filming location for season 4 of “Yellowstone,” was originally owned by Anne Marion. After Marion’s death, the property was slated for division and sale, but she had asked that someone preserve her vision, and Sheridan was approached to buy it. He said he was about $300 million short of the asking price and that Paramount, which had been pursuing an overall deal with him, offered a solution.

Sheridan contacted Paramount and agreed to an exclusive agreement, after which he led a group of investors to close the purchase on Jan. 21 2022. Since the deal, he has created several series for the studio, including “Mayor of Kingstown,” “1883,” “1923,” “Lioness,” “Landman,” “Tulsa King” and “The Madison.”

“I was set up to retire. I was going to be done after ‘Yellowstone.’ I’d bought the ranch in Weatherford, and I paid cash. I didn’t owe anybody anything,” Sheridan said.

“Paramount had been after me to make an overall deal. They were terrified that I was going to go to greener pastures and leave them,” he added.