The creators of “South Park” Trey Parker and Matt Stone have scored two profitable agreements that may pay their manufacturing firm greater than $ 1.25 billion, classifying their most richest pacts in tv historical past.
Paramount Global has ensured the unique world streaming rights of the present for $ 300 million a yr in 5 years, bringing Kenny, Kyle, Stan and Cartman to the corporate’s digital service, Paramount+, for the primary time within the United States
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18:18 July 22, 2025A earlier model of this text stated that the creators of “South Park” will earn virtually $ 2 billion by means of their new elementary agreements. They will truly obtain greater than $ 1.25 billion.
Paramount individually prolonged in stone and Parker’s total manufacturing settlement for his or her firm, Park County. As a part of that pact, Park County will obtain a minimal of $ 250 million per yr till 2030 to create no less than 50 new episodes of “South Park”, in accordance with two people who find themselves conversant in the settlement however not licensed to talk publicly. For now, streaming compensation is counted for the general settlement.
The agreements that problem gravity present that even when Hollywood research are financially struggling, they’re prepared to pay some huge cash for confirmed Hitmaker.
“In an organization the place no person is aware of something, there’s a certainty:” South Park “at all times wins,” stated the previous chief of the comedy Central Doug Herzog, who introduced the cartoon on tv virtually three a long time in the past. “Shows akin to” South Park “are on the heart of what builds the worth in firms like Paramount.”
The agreements met on Monday after months of adverse negotiations that exposed disagreements in Paramount whereas the corporate is getting ready to be bought. For months, managers Paramount labored to barter new contracts with Stone and Parker. Therefore, the corporate’s potential purchaser, David Ellison’s media skydance, entered and hit the break.
Suning on “South Park” he turned the final headache for the son of the Technological billionaire Larry Ellison, who’s within the closing stretch of his seek for virtually two years to purchase the corporate of the media who owns CBS, Nickelodeon, MTV and Veneble Paramount photos film studio. The $ 8 billion fusion with Paramount ought to be full within the coming weeks.
All the events have been motivated to achieve an settlement earlier than Wednesday, when Paramount Central Comedy kicks off the twenty seventh season of “South Park”. At the start of this month, after a given premiere has been pushed, the Co-Capo of the Paramount Chris McCarthy cemented this week’s debut in an try to ascertain a enterprise deadline.
Paramount and Skydance additionally wished to conclude the negotiations earlier than Stone and Parker spoke to the followers of the San Diego Comic-Con on the finish of this week.
For weeks, a debate has raged behind the scenes: how an excessive amount of did it value for “South Park?”
Foulothed’s animated cartoons are categorised among the many high 20 streaming exhibits to this point this yr, in accordance with Nielsen, a noble outcome for a program that debuted in 1997.
Initially, the County of Park, represented by the longtime lawyer of Parker and Stone Kevin Morris, requested a ten -year settlement that will have delivered a a lot larger fee.
The creators exercised an enormous lever financed given their monitor document.
But the sky was cautious in approval of an settlement that might doubtlessly create monumental losses within the subsequent decade, in accordance with effectively -informed sources. Skydance and his supporter Redbird Capital Partners have promised buyers who method to strengthen Paramount funds and have elevated his broken credit standing.
Skydance and Redbird informed analysts who look forward to finding 2 billion {dollars} cuts.
The tensions on the phrases of the settlement distinction the present paramount managers with Skydance.
Paramount managers supported Stone and Parker as trusted collaborators, claiming that “South Park” leads the worth for the corporate, in accordance with quite a few individuals near negotiations.
McCarthy informed buyers in May that the present would arrive in Paramount+ quickly, even when a brand new settlement had not been solid
Paramount was anxious to deliver “South Park” to Paramount+ as a result of it was obtainable completely on the HBO Max rival within the United States within the final 5 years. The Paramount technique lately has been to construct its channels and platforms round giant properties, together with Taylor Sheridan’s “Yellowstone” franchise and the current return of the “Dexter” showtime killer.
The HBO Max settlement expired on the finish of June.
The disagreements broke out outdoor when the attorneys of “South Park” focused to Skydance, claiming that Ellison and the Senior supervisor of Redbird Jeff Shell have exceeded their limits in negotiations, who jeopardized the worth of the present and the collaborative relationships of the County of Park with Paramount.
Skydance, who doesn’t but have elementary, claimed that he has a contractual proper to approve essential transactions as he awaits the keys.
Park County has enrolled the disputes of Bulldog Stuart Liner and Bryan Freedman to organize a trigger to purpose for the paramount and skydance on the sturdy involvement of the latter. Such a excessive -profile authorized battle would have risked a snapof of public relations costly in an inappropriate second whereas Ellison seeks the approval of the Federal Commission for its elementary acquisition.
Last weekend, the 2 elements reached a turning level and the content material of the discussions turned extra fruitful. The menace to the trigger was eradicated.
The negotiations for the “South Park” license to HBO Max and Paramount+ collapsed on Monday, leaving the Paramount to assert unique streaming rights. At some level, Netflix had additionally expressed curiosity within the property.
The “South Park” scaramuccia examined the administration of excessive -profile expertise Ellison, providing a have a look at its fashion and programming priorities whereas getting ready to information the paramount as a CEO.
Ellison claimed to need to reconstruct the corporate by creating collaborative relationships with abilities. Last yr he informed analysts that the plan was to make the paramount studio “the primary stage of the most effective class narrators”.
Park County additionally maintains a worthwhile settlement modeled in 2007, earlier than streaming turned the dominant means. This settlement gives giant park county rights on digital distribution and a participation of just about 50% within the South Park Digital Studios manufacturing firm.
Paramount controls the digital firm. It shares the income of streaming licenses – on this case, $ 300 million per yr – with Park County.
A important level within the talks was the insistence of the “South Park” staff on the renegotiaries on the identical time all contracts.
Skydance rejected, claiming that the full present settlement of the County Park-A settlement from $ 900 million signed in 2021-did not expire till 2027. Skydance wished to delay that battle till he had taken management of Paramount, in accordance with 4 effectively knowledgeable individuals.
In the top, Skydance bought the bottom. The New Deal ensures Park County $ 1.25 billion in 5 years.
The CEO of Park Keith Pizzi’s County, who led the negotiations with Morris, outlined the brand new settlement “an unprecedented settlement for the artists”.
“Matt and Trey’s partnership with Paramount has helped to vary the TV and this settlement implies that” South Park “will likely be right here to assist redefine every little thing that may come after,” stated Pizzi in a word. “We are thrilled by one other 5 years with our followers.”
Paramount is betting his future on streaming and has guess that the episodes of “South Park” will strengthen the Paramount+service.
The “South Park” seeds have been planted when the comrades of College Parker and Stone created a excessive -filled animated quick movie known as “The Spirit of Christmas”, made with paper clippings, which stormed the nation within the residence video and have become a primary viral sensation.
That climbed in a pungent satirical sequence that put the central comedy on the map (along with “The Daily Show”) and made Rich Parker and Stone wealthy, with their ruthless incompatible of the tradition and politics of celebrities.
Comedy Central Pay Park County $ 12,500 An episode for the present in its inaugural season.
Since then Parker and Stone have branched out, creating the Broadway musical winner of Tony “The Book of Mormon” and, extra just lately, by buying the Mexican home -themed restaurant Bonita, the inspiration for a traditional episode of “South Park”.
“If you end up within the artistic sector, within the present sector, it’s at all times expertise,” Herzog stated. “Whether it is Matt and Trey or Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert, these guys are unimaginable abilities and don’t develop on bushes.
“Something is price, and within the case of” South Park “, it’s price rather a lot,” he stated.
Times of Times Matt Hamilton’s employees contributed to this relationship.
