Created in 1997 by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the series South Park stands the test of time and manages to renew itself, again and again, allowing it to release seasons and short films with the same success. A few weeks ago, the completely crazy teaser for season 27, expected for this summer, once again promised us something quite juicy.
The strength of South Park is that it was made in just a few weeks, allowing Trey Parker and Matt Stone to always be very close to current events. This new season should also address the subjects of P.Diddy, Elon Musk and the Doge cryptocurrency.
In August 2021, the series was renewed until 2027, up to season 30, with a deal including fourteen TV movies produced exclusively for the Paramount+ platform. But this contract could be threatened by the merger with Skydance.
South Park and Paramount, already the end?
In 2021, Paramount and the creators of South Park signed a deal worth $900 million. An agreement that allowed the production of new seasons and TV movies until 2027. Unfortunately, this partnership already seems threatened by Skydance Media.
For some time now, Paramount Global has been struggling to finalize its merger agreement with the Skydance group owned by David Ellison. One of the problems is apparently numerous disagreements, including the future of South Park. A trio of Paramount executives is trying to secure the rights to broadcast the series in the United States and abroad.
This does not seem to satisfy Skydance, which wants to get rid of the vulgar series. Knowing that in this merger process, Skydance Media has the right to approve or reject major deals such as the South Park deal under the agreements with Paramount.
In addition to the trashy and vulgar aspect, Skydance Media believes that the cost of the rights to the series, estimated at $200 million per year, is too generous. The situation therefore seems very delicate and at a standstill. On the South Park side, attorney Ari Emanuel, whose firm WME represents Parker and Stone, said: "No one has turned anything down. They're just doing their analysis. We've received offers from other distributors. Everyone wants this show.".
Trey Parker and Matt Stone therefore don't seem too worried about the future of South Park. But these disagreements could cause delays to the broadcast of new seasons as well as the production of the series. Season 27 is expected on Comedy Central starting July 9.
Regarding Skydance's acquisition of Paramount, the latter has been on hold for months. The two companies are awaiting approval from federal authorities. This agreement is worth $8 billion.
0 Comments