South Park makers sign $1.5bn streaming pact.

South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have secured a $1.5 billion deal for the streaming rights to their animated comedy show. Paramount has acquired the global streaming rights to the long-running series, making it available on Paramount+ for the first time in the US. The deal also includes bringing the show back to several foreign countries where it was recently removed due to expired licensing during negotiations.

The agreement, negotiated by Parker and Stone's Park County production company, is valued at a minimum of $300 million annually over five years. As part of the deal, Parker and Stone will produce 10 new episodes of South Park each year. The show's previous exclusive streaming deal with HBO Max expired in June, leading to Paramount Global's interest in having the series on its own streaming platform, Paramount+.

Despite negotiations with various companies like Netflix and Warner Bros Discovery, the South Park deal faced delays that have pushed back the premiere of the show's 27th season. Originally set for July 9, the premiere date has been postponed to July 23, marking over two years since the last season aired. Parker and Stone expressed frustration over the situation, emphasizing their commitment to creating new episodes for the fans.

The talks for the South Park deal were impacted by a pending merger between Paramount and Skydance, which is expected to value the combined company at approximately $28 billion. Parker and Stone are also in the process of renegotiating an extended deal with Paramount to continue producing new episodes for Comedy Central beyond their existing agreement, which extends through 2027. In 2021, the duo signed a $900 million deal with Paramount+ to keep South Park running until season 30.