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. First airing in 1997, there are 26 seasons of the show so far, with more on the way, as the show has been renewed through 2027.
While South Park draws critical acclaim with every season, it has caused a massive headache for Paramount Global. After signing a deal with Paramount+ 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 allegedly acquired the rights with the expectation of new episodes to stream due to their higher value, but the specials have drawn more attention to Paramount+.
South Park Specials Controversy Explained
While nearly all South Park episodes can be found on HBO Max, five have been permanently banned after the show elected to show a censored version of the Prophet Muhammad, the vast majority are located on the streamer. However, specials and events are located on Paramount+.
While South Park has mocked streaming wars, it is now the subject of its own legal trouble, thanks to those same events. 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. MTV, a Paramount subsidiary, made a deal $900 million deal with creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone in 2021 to produce specials for Paramount+, which Warner Bros. Discovery is arguing should have fallen under their 2019 contract with the streamer.
South Park creators Parker and 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 streaming platform. With so much on the line, South Park has found itself at the center of yet another controversy.
Source: Variety