‘South Park’ Co-Creators Criticize Skydance-Paramount Merger

The latest season of “South Park” is facing a two-week delay, much to the frustration of creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. They expressed their displeasure with the postponement, attributing it to the possible merger between Paramount Global and Skydance. According to them, the merger is causing chaos and disruption for the show.

The premiere of “South Park’s” 27th season has been rescheduled for Wednesday, July 23rd at 10:00pm ET/PT on Comedy Central. This season marks the return of the show after a two-year hiatus. However, the reason for the delay has not been officially disclosed by Comedy Central.

The impending merger between Paramount Global and Skydance is set to take place by July 6th. As a result, Skydance is expected to gain control of Paramount Global, and both companies will merge under the leadership of Jeff Shell. Parker and Stone have accused Shell of interfering in their negotiations with Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery, regarding streaming rights for “South Park.”

In response to alleged interference from Shell’s companies, Park County, the entertainment company of Parker and Stone, has threatened legal action. They claim that Shell is pressuring platforms like Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery to modify their offers for streaming deals with “South Park” in favor of Paramount.

Parker and Stone argue that Shell is pushing for an exclusive streaming agreement with Paramount+, potentially at the expense of Park County. They have demanded that Redbird and Skydance cease their interference in the negotiations to protect their rights and uphold their obligations to the public.

Despite these developments, Paramount and the creators of “South Park” have not yet responded to requests for comment. This situation highlights the complexities and challenges involved in the entertainment industry, especially when it comes to negotiating streaming rights for popular shows like “South Park.”