South Park Finds New Home in $1.5B Deal

Paramount has secured the global streaming rights to South Park in a landmark $1.5 billion deal, bringing the hit animated series exclusively to Paramount+ after intense negotiations. The five-year agreement, still awaiting final signatures, will bring all episodes of the animated series to Paramount+ in the US for the first time, consolidating global streaming rights under one roof, reports the Los Angeles Times. Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone's Park County production company will produce 10 episodes per year as part of the deal.

This move marks a strategic homecoming for the long-running Comedy Central series, which had previously been licensed to HBO Max when Paramount's own streaming service was still on the drawing board. That earlier arrangement left Paramount+ without one of its most recognizable properties—until now. Discussions reportedly reached a boiling point as both sides raced to finalize terms before the show's 27th season premiere, which was ultimately pushed back two weeks to Tuesday, per Variety. Complicating matters further was Paramount's ongoing plan to be acquired by Skydance Media, which gained veto power over major deals as part of its agreement with Paramount's board.

While Park County initially pushed for a decade-long pact, Skydance favored a shorter commitment in the face of industry uncertainty, resulting in the five-year compromise. Negotiations were tense enough to prompt Park County to consider legal action, but the parties ultimately returned to the table. The deal includes a revenue-sharing arrangement dating back to 2007, allowing Park County to claim nearly half the streaming revenue. The deal should "enable Paramount to eventually recoup about half of the licensing fee that it agreed to pay for streaming rights," per the Times.