Paramount+ made a bold move by renewing Taylor Sheridan’s neo-Western Landman for a third season, even as the series faces a sharp drop in audience sentiment. Season 2 debuted on November 16, 2025 with 9.2 million global viewers in 48 hours, a platform record.
Yet the Rotten Tomatoes audience score fell to 38 percent, marking a steep decline from Season 1’s 64 percent. This divide between strong viewership and weak approval captures the shifting priorities in the streaming world, where raw numbers often outweigh enthusiasm.
Fan Revolt Amid Record Ratings
Season 2’s premiere quickly transformed Landman into Paramount+’s most visible title. By early December 2025, it ranked as the platform’s top show in the United States and in dozens of other countries. Social engagement spiked, with analytics firms tracking large increases in discussion across major platforms in the days that followed its launch.
Despite this surge in attention, viewer sentiment shifted in the opposite direction. Within one week, the Season 2 audience score on Rotten Tomatoes dropped to 38 percent. Season 1 had held a 64 percent score, highlighting a significant change in audience reaction. Analysts noted that while long-running dramas often experience gradual erosion over time, such a rapid decline was unusual.
This widening divide raised questions about whether a flagship title can thrive when its viewers are increasingly frustrated while its visibility continues to climb.
Critics and Viewers Split
Critics remained far more favorable than the audience. Season 1 held a 78 percent critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, while Season 2 stayed at 74 percent. Reviewers praised the performances and overall tension, calling the season a steady continuation of Sheridan’s signature style and worldbuilding.
Many viewers, however, felt they were watching a different show entirely. Online reactions frequently pointed to a noticeable shift in tone. Fans argued that the grounded neo-Western feel of Season 1 had been replaced by domestic melodrama. Much of this criticism centered on the expanded focus on Tommy’s family, including Angela, played by Ali Larter, and Ainsley, played by Michelle Randolph.
The growing gap between reviews and public reaction underscored a core challenge for Paramount+: measuring success when critical response and audience satisfaction no longer align.
Renewal Defies Audience Metrics
Paramount+ renewed Landman for Season 3 on December 5, only three episodes into the new season. By then, the 38 percent audience score had already drawn widespread notice, with many industry watchers calling it one of the lowest-rated series ever renewed at this level.
Traditionally, a drop of that scale might lead a platform to slow down decisions or adjust creative direction before moving ahead. Instead, Paramount+ moved quickly, choosing to prioritize record-breaking viewership, a sustained number one ranking, and nonstop online conversation. Executives appeared to accept that even criticism keeps the show highly visible and feeds engagement metrics that drive subscriber behavior.
The decision signaled a broader shift in streaming strategy. High engagement, whether positive or negative, is emerging as a dominant force over satisfaction scores.
Sheridan’s Timeline and the Financial Stakes
Behind the mixed reception lies a major financial calculation. Since 2021, Taylor Sheridan’s projects have generated more than $800 million for Paramount. Titles such as Mayor of Kingstown and Tulsa King delivered about $147 million and $146 million respectively. Landman has been positioned to surpass those numbers if its audience holds steady.
Paramount+ reached 79 million subscribers by mid 2025 and reduced streaming losses from about $286 million in Q4 2024 to $109 million in Q1 2025. In this environment, high-profile hits are essential. Season 1 reached 14.9 million households in four weeks and eventually drew 35 million viewers, surpassing major franchise titles.
Sheridan’s contract ends on December 31, 2028 after he signed a new deal with NBCUniversal in October 2025. Paramount+ has a limited window to maximize his remaining work. Actor Billy Bob Thornton has committed to a four to five year arc through 2029, and his Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award nominations have helped strengthen the show’s branding even as audience scores fall.
Season 3 and the Limits of Raw Numbers
Season 3 now faces significant pressure. From a creative standpoint, it must confront widespread concerns that Season 2 leaned too heavily into domestic storylines at the expense of the rugged oil patch tone that gave the show its early identity. Commercially, it needs to sustain its record reach to support its budget and subscriber retention value at a time when the streaming market is rapidly consolidating.
Landman has become a case study in the strengths and weaknesses of data-driven decision making. A series can dominate charts, drive conversation, and play a key role in a company’s strategy while still leaving many viewers dissatisfied. Paramount+ is betting that these viewers will stay engaged long enough for the show to reconnect with its original appeal before Sheridan departs. For the wider industry, Landman may become a test of how far platforms can rely on pure numbers before audience reaction forces a course correction.
Sources:
Variety, “‘Landman’ Season 2 Premiere Pulls in 9.2 Million Views in First Two Days,” November 20, 2025.
Deadline, “‘Landman’ Renewed For Season 3 At Paramount+,” December 5, 2025.
Variety, “‘Landman’ Renewed for Season 3 at Paramount+,” December 5, 2025.
Rotten Tomatoes, Landman Season 1 and Season 2 Ratings and Reviews (accessed December 2025).
Deadline, “Taylor Sheridan To Leave Paramount For NBCUniversal Deal,” October 26, 2025.
Paramount Press Express, “Paramount+ Subscriber Growth and Financial Results Q1 2025,” May 2025.