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South Park is an American adult animated television sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone that has been broadcast on Comedy Central since August 13, 1997. The show revolves around four grade-school boys—Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick—and their experiences in the fictional town of South Park.
It has a reputation for its irreverent and satirical sense of humor that tends to address a broad set of social, political, and cultural issues. The show incorporates a unique cutout-style animation and is produced on a rapid schedule, often completed within a week of airing to stay current.
The show has aired more than 329 episodes through 27 seasons to date as of July 2025, with more specials and movies made for Paramount+. The show has won several awards, including five Primetime Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award. Comedy Central remains the primary broadcaster for new episodes, which have traditionally been popular and influential in adult animation.
Following years on HBO Max, as of August 2025, streaming rights to South Park have transferred solely to Paramount+ in America after the creators entered a $1.5 billion streaming deal with Paramount Global.
South Park’s streaming history
The series premiered in 1997 and shortly thereafter established a cult following for its dark and satirical humor about four boys, Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny, in the make-believe town of South Park. Traditionally, the show’s streaming rights have changed hands between networks.
Initially, it was shown on other platforms before the exclusive rights were licensed to HBO Max by Paramount in 2019. This deal gave HBO Max access to the initial 26 seasons while fresh episodes aired on Comedy Central. However, this deal came to an end in June 2025.
Details of the new Paramount+ deal
The creators, through their production company Park County, negotiated a deal worth $1.5 billion with Paramount Global. It further secured exclusive global streaming rights for the series on Paramount+. This five-year contract covers all past seasons and 50 upcoming episodes, with the show producing 10 new episodes annually for Comedy Central.
Paramount Global aims to use this deal to boost its streaming platform, which did not have South Park before due to previous licensing agreements being in favor of HBO Max. The contract also resolved delays involving the release of the 27th season, which premiered on Comedy Central on July 23, 2025.
Impact on viewers and streaming availability
Through early July 2025, Seasons 1–26 of South Park were still available on HBO Max in the United States, but on August 5, 2025, the show will be removed. Subscribers planning to stream South Park after that date will have to do so through Paramount+.
Only the 27th season is live on Comedy Central now and will be Paramount+ exclusive for streaming. This transition means HBO Max viewers must either subscribe to Paramount+ or watch episodes via Comedy Central’s live stream on cable and streaming TV providers.
Why the streaming rights change?
The change in streaming rights is a result of negotiations made more complex by the merger of Paramount Global with Skydance Media, which caused previous delays and complications. Parker and Stone voiced their frustration about these corporate talks, which also affected the timing and release of new episodes.
In the end, the $1.5 billion pact was a game-changer, solving these problems and enabling an exclusive streaming deal that benefits Paramount+. The shift reflects broader industry patterns in which content owners prefer to keep rights within their own platforms to maximize returns and retain control.
Future of South Park streaming and production
The five-year agreement ensures that fresh South Park material will continue to be created and released mainly on Paramount’s platforms. Broadcast premiere rights for new episodes will remain with Comedy Central, while Paramount+ will serve as the sole worldwide digital streaming home.
This deal secures the show’s future with ongoing production and streaming stability, at least until 2030. Due to the significant stakes and investment involved, Paramount+ will likely position the show as a flagship title for its subscribers.
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