Warner Bros. Discovery is taking legal action against Paramount Global, accusing them of airing new episodes of the popular animated comedy series “South Park” despite Warner having paid for exclusive rights. According to a lawsuit filed in New York State Supreme Court, Warner signed a contract in 2019 worth over $500 million for the rights to existing and new show episodes. HBO Max, Warner’s streaming platform, was supposed to receive the first episodes of a new season in 2020, production was halted due to the pandemic, according to the lawsuit.
Despite Warner’s exclusive rights to the show until 2025, the company claims that South Park Digital Studios, which produces the show and is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, offered two pandemic-themed specials to Paramount, which aired them in September 2020 and March 2021. Warner alleges that these specials should have been offered to them under the initial contract and that this “verbal trickery” led fans of the show to Paramount’s platform.
The lawsuit, which is 24 pages long, also mentions a $900 million deal in 2021 between a Paramount subsidiary and South Park Digital Studios for exclusive content on the Paramount Plus streaming service. Warner claims this deal was a deliberate scheme between Paramount, it’s subsidiary MTV Entertainment Studios, and South Park Digital Studios to divert as much of the new South Park content to Paramount Plus to boost the platform.
Warner paid $1,687,500 per episode and claims it has not yet received all episodes covered by the contract, resulting in over $200 million in damages. Show creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, who launched the show in 1997 and oversaw the franchise, were not named in the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, the rights to “South Park” are highly coveted in the streaming world due to its potential to attract subscribers, advertisers, and a loyal fan base, primarily young adults. The lawsuit also alleges that the $900 million deal between a Paramount subsidiary and South Park Digital Studios was a deliberate attempt to boost the new Paramount Plus streaming platform.
Warner Bros. Discovery is seeking damages of over $200 million and the return of the rights to the pandemic specials. The lawsuit’s outcome will have significant implications for the future of the “South Park” franchise and the streaming industry.
How the case will be resolved and the consequences for the two media companies and the “South Park” franchise is yet to be seen. The legal battle highlights the intense competition in the streaming world and the importance of securing exclusive rights to popular content.
Currently, both Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global are preparing their arguments and gathering evidence to support their respective positions. The legal process is likely to be lengthy, and it may be some time before a final decision is reached.
