Why Fans Are Frustrated With The Season Premiere Of Yellowstone

Paramount's hit series "Yellowstone" returned on November 8 for its much-anticipated two-hour fourth season, but there was one major problem: Fans couldn't find it. 

Since its debut in 2018, "Yellowstone" has served as one of the most popular shows on television — with the Season 3 finale drawing the largest scripted cable audience of 2020, according to Variety. Colorful characters, cattle ranch dynamics, and intense family drama have continued to keep people coming back for more — so much so, that Paramount has decided to greenlight a prequel series entitled "1883." 

Fans of "Yellowstone" have been eagerly waiting since August 2020 for the fourth season to land on Paramount following the events of Season 3, which wrapped up that month in explosive and dramatic fashion. Many were excited to see what was next for the Dutton family and the rest of the gang, but that excitement began wearing thin on Sunday night when they hopped online to try and stream the "Yellowstone" premiere — to no avail. Here's what happened, and why it won't be resolved any time soon.

To many fans' surprise, the Season 4 premiere of "Yellowstone" was nowhere to be found on Sunday night after its original airing on the Paramount Network. This is because there are currently no plans in place to stream the beloved series until next year — meaning anyone without a traditional cable package is out of luck. 

"Imagine how much higher the ratings would be if it were available to stream for those without a TV/cable subscription," wrote Twitter user @ThatMikeGuy68 in response to a tweet from the "Yellowstone" account, which asked fans if they were ready for the upcoming fourth season.

In early November, the Peacock app's Twitter account confirmed that "Yellowstone" fans without cable would be left out in the proverbial cold until January 2022 at the earliest. "While the episodes will not be available on Peacock until the conclusion of the current season, we look forward to the new season being available next year," the account tweeted. 

Paramount promised to offer the entire season on Amazon Video for an additional cost, but there were even problems watching the premiere there as well. "I'm assuming a bunch of you may also be experiencing this as well but if you're attempting to stream through Prime, there is a known issue due to server volume. Holy cow!" wrote Redditor u/OGSpicyConch in an online discussion. 

"Yellowstone" is set to air every Sunday night until early January 2022.