South Park is in the news cycle again, but this time, it isn't because another country banned it. Instead, the Comedy Central original's streaming rights are up for grabs, and it's looking like the stars will align to result in a huge streaming deal very soon. So, which streaming service will be the next to house the irreverent comedy?
That's still being worked out, allegedly, as a deal has yet to be struck on where the animated comedy (now in Season 23) will be available. Bloomberg reported that creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Viacom are looking at an estimated payday of around $450 to $500 million which will be split 50-50 between Viacom and the two men. The goal is to have a streaming deal done by the end of 2019, though the current word is it could be done as early as this weekend.
Right now, there's only a couple major streamers not in the running for South Park streaming rights. Netflix (who dropped a ton of money on Seinfeld recently) has dropped out of the bidding according to someone with alleged intel on negotiations. While it is true that Netflix has dropped a ton of money to keep certain syndicated shows, walking away from South Park isn't too surprising given its push for original content.
It's also believed that Apple will not be placing a bid on South Park due to the level of business it does with China. Ironically, Apple not getting involved would be the same criticism South Park made about American organizations allowing censorship by China, which resulted in the series being banned from the country.
For those wondering, yes, Hulu is still in the running for upholding its streaming rights for South Park. Hulu paid for exclusive streaming rights back in 2015, and is reportedly willing to pay again if the price doesn't climb too high. If it does, then there's a good chance that South Park will air elsewhere.
HBO Max and Peacock are two other potential homes for South Park, and both have been making moves to expand their libraries ahead of launch. HBO Max's recent acquisitions make it seem like a great home for South Park, and the library of the beloved series would be a subscription pull for the service. Peacock is certainly a contender as well, though there is something that feels weird about the show landing on an NBC streaming platform.
South Park Creators Want To Make More Movies, And Not For Streaming
A deal for South Park on streaming is on the way, but in the meantime audiences can watch new episodes Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m. ET. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for all the latest news on what's happening with television and movies this fall season.
