‘South Park' creators secure $1.5 billion streaming deal with Paramount, skewer Trump in Season 27 premiere

Time of India

3 days ago

South Park creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, have inked a monumental $1.5 billion deal with Paramount Global, securing exclusive streaming rights for the series on Paramount+. The agreement includes all past seasons and 50 new episodes over five years. Season 27 premiered with a satirical jab at Donald Trump, highlighting the show's continued political commentary.
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Season 27 premiere takes a jab at Trump
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The creators of South Park Trey Parker and Matt Stone , have signed a massive five-year streaming and production deal with Paramount Global , valued at $1.5 billion. The agreement grants Paramount+ exclusive global streaming rights to the long-running animated series, including all 26 previous seasons and 50 new episodes over the next five years.This marks the first time South Park will be available on Paramount+ in the US, after years of streaming on rival platform HBO Max The earlier licensing deal expired in June, paving the way for Paramount to bring the show to its own streaming service.Under the terms, Parker and Stone's production company, Park County, will deliver 10 new episodes annually for Comedy Central , which will also continue airing the show on television.Paramount had lost streaming rights to South Park in 2019, when previous leadership licensed the show to HBO Max. The decision left Paramount+ without one of its most valuable assets. Recent negotiations included discussions with Warner Bros.Discovery, HBO Max's parent company, for co-licensing, but talks broke down earlier this week. Paramount ultimately opted to go solo.Skydance Media, which is in the process of acquiring Paramount, approved the final deal. Skydance executives, top lawyers, and Park County's leadership were involved in the high-stakes discussions.Park County will reportedly keep nearly half of the streaming revenue through its joint venture with Paramount, South Park Digital Studios.Just hours after the deal was signed, South Park kicked off its 27th season on Comedy Central. The premiere wasted no time turning its satire toward President Donald Trump.The episode included a scene where a caricature of Trump crawls into bed with Satan. In this scene, Trump complains about a painting of his anatomy and threatens to sue the town of South Park for $5 billion.Additionally, Satan confronts Trump regarding rumors that link him to the Epstein list, which is a topic that prompted Trump's lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal's publisher, Dow Jones, and its owner, Rupert Murdoch.This episode aired amid a backdrop of controversy surrounding Paramount's recent decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, following a $16 million settlement the company reached with Trump.Parker and Stone have been outspoken about their complicated relationship with political satire, especially involving Trump.In past interviews, they acknowledged how draining it can be to keep up with political cycles, even for a show known for its quick production turnaround and bold commentary.The show's 27th season will continue to air on Comedy Central and stream on Paramount+.