South Park fans in the US are running out of time to catch the show on HBO Max. The favorite animated series will vanish from HBO Max on August 5, as its streaming rights have shifted exclusively to Paramount Plus. All 26 seasons, plus the controversial first episode of season 27 featuring Donald Trump and Satan sharing a bed, are already available on Paramount Plus.
This change follows a long and messy licensing dispute between Park County (the company behind South Park) and Paramount. The drama even escalated to legal threats after the creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, accused Skydance of blocking a ten-year deal worth $300 million per year that Park County thought was agreed upon with Paramount. You can read more about that situation in The Hollywood Reporter.
“This merger is a sh*tshow and is f*cking up South Park,” Parker and Stone vented on X in early July while working on new episodes. The season 27 premiere got delayed, and the show even disappeared from Paramount Plus outside the US, frustrating fans worldwide.
But now the dust has settled. Paramount signed a deal with Park County worth around $300 million, but only for five years instead of ten. This means Paramount Plus holds exclusive global streaming rights for South Park.
If you’re used to watching South Park on HBO Max, you better catch up fast because after August 5, it’s gone from there in the US. The next episode of season 27 was delayed by a week and will air on August 6 on Comedy Central, followed by Paramount Plus on August 7.
