“South Park” has been removed from Paramount+.
All 26 seasons of the popular animated comedy series are no longer available on the streaming service. While nine ‘South Park’ specials remain accessible, including ‘South Park: The End of Obesity’ and ‘South Park: The 25th Anniversary Concert,’ the main series has been completely wiped from the platform.
Initially, some reports, including from the Wrap, suggested this removal only affected subscribers outside the United States, but as of Sunday morning, the show appears unavailable for U.S. account holders as well.
The removal comes amid growing tensions between the show’s creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and Paramount Global, the parent company of both Paramount+ and Comedy Central, where “South Park” traditionally airs.
Paramount+ has not made any public announcement about the removal. However, when a fan inquired about the show’s status, a Paramount+ representative responded via email: “Unfortunately, ‘South Park’ has come to an end of the window in which we have the rights to carry it on Paramount+ which is why it now has to come down from the platform.” This statement was later shared on Reddit.
Complicating matters is Paramount Global’s ongoing merger with entertainment company Skydance, which appears to be creating significant behind-the-scenes issues. Earlier this month, Comedy Central announced that “South Park” Season 27, originally scheduled to premiere on July 9, would be delayed by several weeks.
Parker and Stone publicly expressed their frustration on the official “South Park” X account, writing: “This merger is a sh–show and it’s f—–g up ‘South Park.’ We are at the studio working on new episodes and we hope the fans get to see them somehow.”
The Hollywood Reporter noted last month that Parker and Stone had threatened legal action against Paramount through their attorney. They accused the company’s incoming president, Jeff Shell, of interfering in their contract negotiations with other streaming platforms. The publication also reported that Paramount still has two years remaining on its $900 million deal for the digital rights to “South Park.”
It remains unclear if or when the series will return to Paramount+. For now, “South Park” Season 27 is scheduled to premiere on Comedy Central on Wednesday, July 23 at 10 p.m. ET. In the meantime, fans looking to watch previous seasons can find all 26 seasons of ‘South Park’ available on HBO Max
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Source link
