Secured Victory in $1.5bn Battle

The creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, have reached an agreement for the long-standing satirical cartoon to be available for streaming on Paramount+.

Under the five-year deal, Paramount+ will feature all 26 previous seasons of the show and premiere 50 new episodes starting this week. This decision follows a competitive bidding process among major streaming services.

Paramount and its CBS network have faced criticism recently for discontinuing The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, citing financial reasons.

The deal, valued at $1.5 billion (£1.1 billion), was reported by the Los Angeles Times. New episodes will first air on Paramount's Comedy Central cable channel before being available on Paramount+.

Previously, the show was accessible on the HBO Max streaming platform. The latest season, initially set to begin on July 9, was postponed due to contract discussions.

South Park, which debuted in 1997, is renowned for its edgy humor and controversial content that has sparked debates over the years. Trey Parker and Matt Stone are also known for creating the popular musical The Book of Mormon.

Some observers have raised questions about the timing of CBS' cancellation of The Late Show, speculating whether it was related to a settlement reached with former President Donald Trump. Trump had sued CBS in October, alleging biased editing in an interview with his election opponent Kamala Harris on the 60 Minutes news program.

Paramount agreed to a $16 million settlement, designated for Trump's future presidential library, with no direct or indirect payment to him. The settlement does not include an apology or admission of wrongdoing from the company.