South Park secures five-year streaming deal with Paramount+ for $1.5 billion

Looks like Eric Cartman isn’t going anywhere anytime soon! The creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, are on the verge of sealing a major deal for the show’s streaming rights following some intense negotiations post the Paramount-Skydance merger.

On July 21, Paramount reportedly agreed to acquire the streaming rights for South Park to be included in the Paramount+ lineup. The deal, which is still pending finalization, involves Parker and Stone’s company, Park County Productions, committing to produce 10 episodes annually. Valued at an impressive $300 million per year, this five-year agreement is anticipated to reach a staggering $1.5 billion by the end of the contract, solidifying South Park as one of the most valuable television franchises around.

It’s no surprise given the show’s meteoric rise since its debut in 1997, expanding into numerous specials, a movie, video games, and tons of merchandise. After HBO Max’s previous streaming rights came to an end in June, South Park’s future seemed uncertain. Parker and Stone were feeling the pressure amidst the streaming deal negotiations and the impact of the Paramount-Skydance merger on the show’s production, especially since only six episodes and three specials have aired since February 2023.

Following a postponement of the season 27 premiere from July 9 to July 23 by Paramount, the creative duo expressed their frustrations on social media. They even went as far as calling the merger a mess that was messing up South Park. Despite these challenges, they assured fans that they were hard at work on new episodes and hoped that fans would get to see them soon.

It looks like there’s light at the end of the tunnel for Parker and Stone as they strive to bring some creative harmony to the chaos that surrounds South Park.