The "South Park" creators have scored a $1.5 billion streaming deal with Paramount+

For backstory, the streaming rights for "South Park" had been held by HBO Max, but those rights expired last month. That was notable, because Paramount has its own streaming service, Paramount+, and the Paramount folks would obviously have loved to have the entire "South Park" back catalog. So much so, they commissioned a few "South Park" specials for Paramount+ so they could have something from the show on their service.

Parker and Stone wanted to shop the rights around, including with Warner Bros. Discovery (who own HBO Max) and Netflix. However, they asserted that Paramount's new potential owner, Skydance's David Ellison and his number two executive Jeff Shell, were interfering in the process. As is their way, Parker and Stone didn't mince words, and you can see those words (swearing included) on the official "South Park" Instagram.

In the end, the beef with Paramount didn't stand in the way of a deal. A ton of money can make that happen. Reportedly, Stone and Parker have struck a five-year deal for "South Park" to give Paramount+ the global streaming rights. The deal is for $300 million per year. Do the math, and the "South Park" guys are primed to earn $1.5 billion from this deal. 

Now, the question becomes just how many new subscribers "Paramount+" gets from having the "South Park" catalog.

(h/t Variety)