Sylvester Stallone Just Broke Records For Paramount+
Sylvester Stallone and Tulsa King are responsible for the biggest single-day subscriber sign-up numbers for Paramount+
Paramount+ says the series premiere of Tulsa King was responsible for its record number of single-day subscriber sign-ups. Coupled with the year-over-year growth of NFL On CBS, the Sylvester Stallone-led series also gave the streamer its highest number of new members in one day since its re-launch. As such, the service has seen its most-streamed season ever through week 10.
Speaking about the new record via Deadline, Chief Programming Officer of Paramount Streaming, Tanya Giles said, “This is a significant milestone for Paramount+ and a clear indicator that our strategy of offering a total household product inclusive of marquee local sports, live events, breaking news and a broad range of premium originals is working very well.”
She added that the combination of expanding the Taylor Sheridan universe with originals like Tulsa King and the urgency of local market football games has propelled Paramount’s growth. The results have established the platform as a leader in streaming. While membership numbers may have increased in anticipation of the Sylvester Stallone starrer, the show received a lukewarm reception from critics.
Following its release, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported a 73% approval rating, with the critical consensus describing the series as a cheap knockoff. “Sylvester Stallone still commands the screen with his swaggering charm, but Tulsa King’s stale comedy often feels like ordering spaghetti with marinara and instead getting egg noodles and ketchup,” the site said. But fans don’t seem to agree, giving the series an 88% audience score.
Billed as a mob drama, Tulsa King is the brainchild of Taylor Sheridan and Terence Winter who share writing and producing duties for the series. The story follows Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone), a New York Mafia capo who just completed a 25-year prison sentence. After being released, his boss sends him to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to establish a new criminal operation. Once there, The General seeks a new crew to help establish his empire.
Along with Sylvester Stallone, the cast includes Max Casella as Armand Truisi, Domenick Lombardozzi as Don Charles Invernizzi, Vincent Piazza as Vince Antonacci, and A.C. Peterson as Pete Invernizzi. Jay Will, Andrea Savage, Martin Starr, Garrett Hedlund, Dana Delany as Margaret, and Annabella Sciorra also star. Tulsa King is produced by MTV Entertainment and 101 Studios. David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, David Hutkin, Allen Coulter, and Braden Aftergood serve as executive producers.
While the premise suggests an uphill battle for an aging criminal trying to apply his old-school ways to the modern graft, the pilot immediately extinguishes the idea by putting Dwight (Sylvester Stallone) on a glide path. According to a Variety review, 25 years away from the hustle hasn’t dulled his criminal instincts even slightly. Just a few hours after arriving in Tulsa, Dwight enlists a personal driver and gets the better of a local weed dispensary owner.
Meanwhile, Sylvester Stallone will next be seen in The Expendables 4. Directed by Scott Waugh, from a script co-written by Spenser Cohen and Max Adams, the movie is currently in post-production with a release date of September 22, 2023. The story begins when a nuclear conflict between Russia and the United States draws The Expendables into a thrilling new adventure. The movie stars returning cast members Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Couture. Andy Garcia, 50 Cent, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, and Megan Fox are also featured.
