South Park Just Signed One Of The Biggest TV Deals Ever
South Park is going ridiculously big in the next few years.
This article is more than 2 years old
The creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, have just signed one of the biggest TV deals ever by signing a new deal with CiacomCBS’ MTV Entertainment and its sister channel, Comedy Central, which calls the pair to produce more than a dozen movies and secures the show through season 30 in 2027.
According to the official South Park website, MTV Entertainment studios inked a new, expansive, and relatively expensive deal with the show’s creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, through 2027. This deal extends the series to season 30 for Comedy Central and calls for the creative duo to make 14 South Park original made-for-streaming movies, exclusively for ViacomCBS’ Paramount+ streaming service. But what makes the deal so grand is its price – the new deal is worth over $900 million over six years.
Comedy Central, owned by ViacomCBS, has been the home to South Park for over 25 years, making it a pillar of its broadcasting program since 1997. So, the new deal secures enough money for the creators to continue making the latest episodes of South Park for Comedy Central, with additional 14 original South Park movies heading directly to Paramount+, which is owned by ViacomCBS, who is ultimately funding the entire deal. Or are they, considering the rumors regarding their tax evasion practices?
The deal with Parker and Stone puts South Park in league with The Simpsons, the longest-running American animated series which added Star Wars to its long list of crossovers. But it also clearly indicates ViacomCBS’ growing commitment to Paramount+ streaming service – adding several movies based on the most popular television series, such as South Park, will significantly accelerate its growth. In the end, the values of long-standing franchises like South Park have soared to record heights ever since media conglomerates began competing in streaming wars, making them almost inestimably precious.
South Park was initially based on a short film Parker and Stone made in college, which became an instant hit due to its outlandish humor when it debuted in 1997. It delivered millions of viewers to ViacomCBS and put Comedy Central on the map. By the show’s third season, Parker and Stone were given a free hand, as the network stopped providing them with notes on how to improve the show, mainly because there was nothing to improve. According to Stone’s statements, the creative duo has complete authority over the show, fully supported by ViacomCBS.
The show is one of the longest Comedy Central shows in TV history, which maintained its quality over the years, partially thanks to Parker and Stone’s otherworldly adherence to schedules. The creative duo only makes six to ten South Park episodes a year, with each season produced throughout a couple of months. Unfortunately, they weren’t immune to the disruptions brought by the pandemic, which prevented them from producing another season last year. However, they did produce a couple of specials, which inspired them to think bigger – especially since they haven’t made a South Park movie since 1999. With 14 new South Park movies coming in the following years, we may be witnessing the birth of yet another cinematic universe – Kennyverse, perhaps?
