Paramount and the creators of South Park have stopped their fussin’ and feudin’ and agreed to a new five-year deal. After a tense back-and-forth that saw Trey Parker and Matt Stone shitposting through the drama and reportedly hiring Justin Baldoni’s attorney, South Park’s streaming future is set until 2030. Under the new deal, the show is guaranteed to run for 50 more episodes, which will air on Comedy Central, then stream on Paramount+ the next day. South Park’s back catalogue will now also reside on Paramount+ after camping out for years on HBO Max–Max–HBO Max again.
Parker and Stone were all implied smiles in the press release. “We are grateful for this opportunity and deeply honored by the trust placed in us,” Parker said. “This is about more than a contract — it’s about our commitment to this organization, our teammates, and our fans. We’re focused on building something special and doing whatever it takes to bring championships to this city.” It comes in stark contrast to the official statements from Park County the past few weeks. When the premiere of South Park season 27 was delayed, the creators wrote on their official Twitter, “This merger is a shitshow and it’s fucking up South Park.”
The so-called shitshow of a merger was reportedly at the heart of the South Park–Paramount woes. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Skydance was getting into the middle of negotiations between Paramount Global, Parker, and Stone. The Skydance-Paramount merger has also come under criticism from late-night comedians who suspect CBS canceled The Late Show in order to curry favor with the Trump administration. CBS asserts the decision was “purely financial.”