South Park’s $500M streaming rights deal prompts a major lawsuit between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount over a licensing dispute.
The streaming rights for South Park have caused a $500 million lawsuit between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global. The adult comedy show follows a group of mischievous and chaotic elementary school children as they discuss major pop culture issues and current events. Having first aired in 1997, there are 26 seasons of the show so far, and more on the way, as the show has been renewed through 2027.
Yet, while South Park draws critical acclaim with every season, it has caused a massive headache for Paramount Global. After signing a deal with Paramount Plus to allow Warner Bros. Discovery to air all of South Park‘s episodes on HBO Max, Warner Bros. Discovery alleges that Paramount has breached their contract by adding South Park specials to Paramount+, as reported by Variety. According to the lawsuit, HBO Max has been fighting for access to those specials for months.
Where To Watch South Park Specials
At the moment, it can be difficult to realize where each South Park special is currently airing. While not every South Park episode can be found on HBO Max, as five have been permanently banned after the show elected to show a censored version of the Prophet Muhammad, the vast majority are located there. Specials and events, however, are located on Paramount+.
While South Park has mocked streaming wars, it is now the subject of its own war, thanks to those same events. After all, South Park: Post Covid, South Park: Post Covid: The Return of Covid, and South Park The Streaming Wars Parts 1 and 2 were critical moments for South Park that HBO Max has no access to. For Paramount+, the deal has also become a major issue, as South Park is a draw for any streaming platform, so losing access to even a minute amount of episodes of the show is a problem.
South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have already agreed to produce 14 of the South Park events for Paramount+. It’s no surprise that HBO Max is also trying to secure the rights to the content as the HBO Max price increases to $15.99 per month, making it the most expensive platform. With so much on the line, South Park has found itself at the center of yet another controversy.
Source: Variety