Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s animation hit by delay of Paramount Global and Skydance deal
Paramount+ subscribers outside of the US are no longer able to access hit animation South Park, after its rights deal to stream the show expired.
Negotiations to extend the agreement have been delayed because of the ongoing acquisition of Paramount Global by Skydance, which is seeking US regulatory approval.
Repeats of the show will remain on Paramount’s Comedy Central channel internationally, but only South Park specials that were commissioned for Paramount+ are now available on the streamer outside of the States.
Discussions are underway to renew the licence internationally, with Paramount+ currently in operation across LatAm, France, Italy and Germany, as well as in the UK, Ireland, Canada and Australia.
The show is available in the US on HBO Max, which struck a rich deal in 2019 - estimated at around $500m - for rights to the series. Although that agreement has also expired, South Park remains on the service amid ongoing discussions.
The removal of the show from Paramount+ internationally comes after South Park’s 27th season premiere on Comedy Central was delayed by two weeks, a move also blamed on the protracted merger with Skydance.
That prompted creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone to lambast the deal for impacting the show’s release and potential licensing agreements.
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