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‘South Park’ Season 27 Delayed, Creators Call Skydance-Paramount Merger a ‘S**tshow’
Comedy Central

Comedy Central has pushed back South Park‘s season premiere, and the creators are less than thrilled.

It was announced on Wednesday, July 2, that the premiere of South Park’s 27th season has been postponed to Wednesday, July 23, at 10/9c. Originally slated for July 9, the long-running animated series will now debut two weeks later than planned.

As a result of the delay, creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker took to X (formerly Twitter) to vent their frustrations in a post:

“In response to the press release from Comedy Central about the change in the premiere date for South Park, Trey Parker & Matt Stone said – ‘This merger is a s**tshow and it’s f**king up South Park. We are at the studio working on new episodes and we hope the fans get to see them somehow.”

The merger in question is the Paramount-Skydance deal, announced in July 2024, which will combine David Ellison‘s Skydance with Paramount Global. It is set to close by July 6, though the deadline could be extended, as the deal is still pending.

According to Stone and Parker, the upcoming merger has disrupted South Park‘s production schedule. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Parker and Stone entertainment company’s Park County threatened legal action over Shell allegedly interfering in discussions with potential bidders.

In a letter obtained by THR, the duo accuses incoming Skydance-Paramount president Jeff Shell of interfering in their contract negotiations with Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix to benefit Paramount+, where the show currently streams. The letter alleges that Paramount (via Shell) told Netflix and WBD to change their offers to give Paramount+ a 12-month window to air new episodes first while also shortening the licensing deal from from 10 years to 5 years. These changes would make the deal less appealing to Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix, thereby giving an advantage back to Paramount+.

“We hereby demand that you, Redbird, and Skydance immediately cease your interference,” the letter states. “If these activities continue, we will have no choice but to act to both protect our rights and discharge any obligations we may have to the public.”

Paramount currently has two years left on its $900 million deal for South Park‘s digital rights.

South Park, Season 27 Premiere, Wednesday, July 23, 10/9c, Comedy Central

This article first appeared on TV Insider and was syndicated with permission.

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