Netflix’s Western romance Ransom Canyon has returned for a second season but opened to substantially fewer viewers than its first. Its decline matters because the programme had been positioned as a potential successor for viewers seeking more ranch-based drama following the finale of a Yellowstone-universe series, although a weaker launch does not necessarily rule out renewal.

Season two recorded 4.1 million views in its opening week, down 41% from season one’s 7.2 million. The first season initially ranked second on Netflix’s English-language chart with 56.6 million hours watched and reportedly later reached 1.12 billion viewing hours; comparable second-season drops affected Running Point and The Four Seasons, both of which still received third seasons.