Things have been shaky for the series that introduced animation enthusiasts to Stan, Kyle, Kenny, and Cartman recently as the licensing war for South Park’s past, present, and future has heated up. With Paramount/Skydance warring with Warner Bros, Trey Parker and Matt Stone haven’t been thrilled with their side of the deal, even stating as such on social media. This legal battle had major implications for South Park, as season 27 had to push back its premiere this month several weeks as a result. Luckily, things are looking good for the snowy Colorado town as an agreement has been reached.
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The LA Times reports that Trey Parker and Matt Stone have reached an agreement with Paramount for South Park’s streaming rights. Reportedly, Paramount+ will house the fan-favorite animated series for around $300 million USD per year for five years, netting Park County, Parker and Stone’s company, $1.5 billion USD total for the rights. That’s not all, however, as South Park has now been confirmed to create ten new episodes per year during this time, meaning the fans of the Comedy Central series have plenty to look forward to past season twenty-seven. According to the report, Warner Bros Discovery had been seeking an agreement to “co-license” the series with Paramount, but these talks fell through.
South Park’s Future
While South Park’s immediate future is set, Parker and Stone allegedly had been working toward a longer deal with Paramount and Skydance. According to the report, the South Park creators were looking for a decade-long deal for the show, but Skydance, the company that will merge with Paramount, didn’t take this option. As of the writing of this article, all parties involved have yet to release an official statement, but things are looking good for South Park fans at this point in time, especially with the major San Diego Comic-Con event celebrating the series set to arrive later this week.
Earlier this summer, Parker and Stone weren’t afraid to share their thoughts on how the licensing battle was damaging their series, releasing the following statement, “This merger is a sh**show and it’s f’ing up South Park. We are at the studio working on new episodes, and we hope the fans get to see them somehow.” While Paramount+ did erase previous seasons of the animated series, the original specials made for the streaming service, and the first theatrical film, were still available to stream. With the season twenty-seven premiere set to arrive on July 23rd, things are looking good for the return of Stan, Kyle, Kenny, and Cartman to the small screen.
As for the next season of South Park, a previously release trailer is already hinting at some wild adventures for the small Colorado town. Butters will be attempting to be an air traffic controller, the boys will be dodging a certain celebrity who made the news, and Kyle might be transforming into a chicken. Parker and Stone have never been scared to push the envelope, and it seems as though they’ll be doing so for years to come.
Want to stay up to date on this wild legal battle? Follow along with ComicBook.com for the latest updates on all things South Park and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.
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