South Park Creators Decry Paramount-Skydance Deal

South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are displeased with Paramount’s decision to postpone the Season 27 premiere by two weeks. In fact, the writing team used the show’s social media channels to issue a statement, alleging that the still-pending merger between Paramount and Skydance is negatively impacting the series.

“In reaction to Comedy Central’s press release about the revised premiere date for South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone stated: 'This merger is a complete disaster, and it's messing up South Park,'” read their statement, published shortly after the network’s July 2 announcement. “We’re at the studio producing new episodes and hope fans get to watch them one way or another.”

The duo released their comments just 30 minutes after the official announcement, demonstrating their frustration over how the long-running hit is being handled amid Paramount’s reshuffling. Season 26 of the series launched over two years ago, in March 2023, with just six episodes, followed by three additional standalone episodes released between October of that year and March 2024.

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— South Park (@SouthPark) July 2, 2025

While Parker and Stone didn’t specify the exact ways the merger has disrupted the show, Paramount (owner of Comedy Central, South Park’s home network) has faced other scheduling shifts amid the merger, in addition to significant layoffs and abrupt cancellations.

Moreover, the Skydance agreement remains technically pending until its July 7 deadline, which is fast approaching. The FCC has not yet approved the merger, nearly a year after it was announced.

There is also an ongoing legal dispute regarding the streaming rights for South Park. HBO Max previously held exclusive rights, but its deal expired in June, leaving episodes in limbo as Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery have not yet reached new terms. The episodes remain available on the platform, and discussions to renew the contract are continuing—but according to Variety, Parker and Stone assert that incoming Paramount president Jeff Shell has intervened in talks with both WBD and Netflix.

South Park Season 27 will now debut on Comedy Central on July 23, rather than the originally scheduled date of July 9.