Saddle up: Paramount's cultural phenomenon Yellowstone is back for one last hurrah. In Season 5, the Dutton family continues to fight to defend the largest ranch in Montana while family secrets, political aspirations, and outside partnerships threaten its future. The Kevin Costner-led cowboy drama returns for the second part of its fifth season come November. In the meantime, you can catch up on all the events that lead up to it in part one.
Like most entertainment in 2023, watching Yellowstone isn't as clear-cut as we'd all hope — unless, of course, you still have cable. We've got your back, though. Here's everything you need to know to watch Yellowstone Season 5 online.
Can I watch Yellowstone Season 5 live without cable?
Yellowstone is cable TV's most-watched series, but that doesn't mean cord-cutters are completely left in the dark. The show airs exclusively on Paramount — the network, not the streaming platform. When the second half of season 5 premieres, you can access the Paramount Network live through the Paramount Network website (not to be confused with Paramount+) with a cable login or a live TV streaming platform. If you missed the first half of season 5 live, it is officially available to stream on Peacock beginning May 25.
Can I watch Yellowstone for free?
Options for watching Yellowstone for free are few and far between. But if you're up to it, you can go through a series of free trials and cancel your subscriptions before being charged. This is only recommended for the most savvy streamers. Many live TV streaming services offer free trials to test the waters, including FuboTV, YouTube TV, and Philo. If you strategically subscribe and unsubscribe within the trial period of each, you might be able to watch most of part two of Yellowstone Season 5.
If you're a Spectrum customer, you can also score Peacock Premium for free to watch part one of Yellowstone Season 5. Spectrum TV customers get an entire year for free, while Spectrum internet customers can stream for free for 90 days. That's plenty of time to finish part one ahead of the part two launch.
How to watch Yellowstone Season 5: Part 1
Missed out on watching the first part of Season 5 live? No biggie. Your patience has been rewarded, as the first eight episodes drop on Peacock on May 25. If you're already a Peacock Premium subscriber, you don't need to do anything. On May 25, Yellowstone Season 5 will be added to your content library alongside seasons one through four. If you're not a subscriber, there are a few different ways you can sign up.
Best for most people: Peacock Premium annual subscription(opens in a new tab)
The most bang for your buck is a Peacock Premium annual subscription(opens in a new tab) — it typically costs $49.99 for the year, but is on sale for only $19.99/year with the code N2TEWDZZ. The code is still live as of the time of writing. Just make sure to choose an annual subscription with ads at checkout and enter the promo code to watch the price drop. If you don't want to be charged $49.99 for the following year, be sure to cancel before your subscription period ends.
Best for Spectrum customers: Peacock Premium for one year or 90 days(opens in a new tab)
Spectrum customers can watch the first part of Yellowstone Season 5 for free. If you're a Spectrum TV customer, you'll get a free Peacock Premium subscription(opens in a new tab) for an entire year. If you're a Spectrum internet customer, you'll get a free subscription for 90 days. Either option gives you plenty of time to binge-watch all eight episodes.
Best for short-term viewing: Peacock Premium monthly subscription(opens in a new tab)
Not into long-term commitments? Peacock offers a cheap monthly option, so you can binge-watch part one of Season 5 and be on your merry way. If you don't mind ads, you can sign up for $4.99 per month.(opens in a new tab) To watch ad-free, it'll cost you $9.99 per month(opens in a new tab).
Honorable mention: live TV streaming services
Most live TV streaming services — like Philo, FuboTV, Sling, or YouTube TV — also offer on-demand viewing and essentially give you a key that unlocks cable network channels online. If you subscribe to any of these services, you can use your login information to unlock episodes on Paramount Network online(opens in a new tab). Again, this is different from Paramount+. The Paramount Network website lets you watch episodes one through five for free if you have a cable OR live TV login (so, technically not free). Episodes six through eight are currently only available on Peacock or by purchase on digital retailers. Learn more about the live TV streaming services we recommend below.
How to watch Yellowstone Season 5: Part 2
While the next — and final — installment of Yellowstone doesn't premiere until November, it's good to prepare yourself now for how you'll watch the drama unfold. If you don't have cable or access to a cable login, your best bet will be subscribing to a live TV streaming service like Philo or Sling. As we mentioned before, many of these options offer limited free trials. Once those trials are up, however, the prices can get pretty steep. Fortunately, some of our top picks offer access to the Paramount Network as part of their base plans (so, no need for any add-ons). And as a bonus, you can use your live streaming TV subscription to unlock plenty of other cable networks to watch live episodes, events, and sports. Here are our top picks for watching Yellowstone Season 5: Part 2.
Most affordable: Philo(opens in a new tab)
Philo is one of our top picks for a live TV streaming service mostly for its lifestyle content, but it also happens to be the most affordable option. It offers access to shows, movies, and over 70 live channels for just $25 per month. Not to mention, you can try it out for free for seven days before committing. Paramount Network is included in those 70 live channels, which will give you access to Yellowstone live when it premieres in November. If you can't watch live, Philo also lets you record an unlimited amount of live shows to your DVR and save them for up to a year.
Best bang for your buck: YouTube TV(opens in a new tab)
YouTube TV takes live TV streaming a step further with over 100 live channels (including Paramount Network), unlimited DVR space, six household accounts with three streams, and other intuitive features. Of course, those perks come with the steep cost of $72.99 per month. Fortunately, you can test the waters for 10 days for free before committing, then get $8 off per month for your first three months. If you're serious about a true cable replacement, YouTube TV remains one of our favorites.
Honorable mentions
While we don't necessarily recommend these live TV streaming options for watching Yellowstone Season 5, they are still great options if you're looking for a cable replacement.
Sling Orange or Blue(opens in a new tab) — $30 for your first month
$40/month+ $6 Comedy Extra add-onHulu + Live TV (opens in a new tab)— $69.99/month
FuboTV(opens in a new tab) — free 7-day trial, then $74.99/month
