‘South Park’ creators agree to streaming deal with Paramount
‘South Park’ creators agree to streaming deal with Paramount
The agreement for ‘South Park’ and its global streaming rights is valued at $1.5 billion total.
“South Park” fans have been starved for good news lately, and this one is a doozy. The show has found a new streaming home, and it’s one that fans are at least familiar with already, if they’re not subscribers. “South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker have agreed to a new global streaming deal for the show with Paramount Global, one that will vault their personal valuations to billionaire status.
Key Details:
- Big deal: Parker and Stone have agreed to a five-year, $1.5 billion deal with Paramount.
- Move it on over: Episodes of “South Park” will now stream on Paramount+.
- Lawsuit continues: The ongoing legal case between Paramount and WBD over the show will go on.
Parker and Stone have come to terms with Paramount on a five-year deal worth $300 million annually for the global streaming rights to “South Park.” Initially, the duo’s production company, Park County, wanted a 10-year deal, and the Los Angeles Times reports that at one point negotiations became so contentious that Parker and Stone enlisted lawyers for a possible lawsuit against Paramount and its merger partner Skydance Media. The show was pulled from Paramount+ internationally in recent days as well.
The bargaining process got back on track by late last week, however, and culminated in the shorter-term deal announced on Tuesday. Parker and Stone are still negotiating an overall deal with Paramount for production of more episodes of the series, their current pact ending in 2027. But this new agreement ends fan confusion on where the show will be available to stream going forward. Negotiations were complicated by the ongoing Paramount merger with Skydance, and the creative duo behind the show accused oncoming executives of interfering in the process.
Episodes of “South Park” are currently streaming on Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming service HBO Max, and the new season of the show premieres on July 23. Fans should expect former episodes of the show to begin streaming on Paramount+ quite soon; the deal for “South Park” to stream on HBO Max actually expired in late June, though the show remained on the streamer past that date.
The deal won’t have any effect on the ongoing lawsuit between WBD and Paramount over the show. WBD is suing Paramount Global over the development of so-called “South Park” specials that streamed on Paramount+, while episodes of the show were exclusively to be offered on HBO Max. In January, a court dismissed Paramount’s motion for a partial summary judgment in the case, and the lawsuit continues.
But just as the new streaming deal won’t have any effect on the lawsuit, neither will the lawsuit have any sway over the new deal. Paramount+ will soon begin streaming episodes of “South Park,” likely including the new season of the show, and Parker and Stone’s bank accounts are about to grow a little fatter.
Paramount Plus
Paramount+ is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 40,000+ TV show episodes from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., and more. Get free access with a Walmart+ subscription.
Paramount+ includes “1883,” “Tulsa King,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “PAW Patrol.” Subscribers can watch the NFL, college football, The Masters, college basketball, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, Serie A, and NWSL. The service also offers the option to watch your live CBS affiliate. The upgraded ad-free package includes premium movies and shows from Showtime.