CNN reports that Warner Bros. Discovery has recently filed lawsuit against Paramount, stating that the network company had breached its half-billion dollar exclusive contract with HBO Max by airing South Park on their streaming service Paramount+.
Almost every South Park episode has first premiered on Paramount’s owned network Comedy Central. Recently in 2019, Paramount alongside South Park creators auctioned off premiere rights to show the first 23 seasons plus three new seasons to HBO Max. This was prior to Discovery’s merger with Warner Bros. WarnerMedia, then owned AT&T, and agreed to exclusively have the streaming rights for each South Park episode for $1.7 million. Due to the pandemic, the 24th season’s production was halted and failed to be delivered back in March 2020. The company also states that out of the 30 episodes they were promised over the course of three seasons they only received 14 so far.
HBO Max in a statement said, “We believe that Paramount and South Park Digital Studios embarked on a multi-year scheme of unfair trade practices and deception, flagrantly and repeatedly breaching our contract, which clearly gave HBO Max exclusive streaming rights to the existing library and new content from the popular animated comedy South Park.”
Paramount claims that this is, “without merit.”
“Paramount continues to adhere to the parties’ contract by delivering new South Park episodes to HBO Max, despite the fact that Warner Bros. Discovery has failed and refused to pay license fees that it owes to Paramount for episodes that have already been delivered, and which HBO Max continues to stream,” said a Paramount Global spokesperson.
CNN reports that the lawsuit was filed at the New York State Supreme Court as well as there being a separate deal between MTV at $900 million dollars. A subsidiary of Paramount and South Park’s creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone broke the terms of the contract in August 2021. Terms which included 14 made-for-streaming movies of the series that would premiere on Paramount+.