International fans of the hit animated series South Park were left shocked last week after the show was removed from streaming platform Paramount+. The sudden removal comes amid a heated licensing dispute involving creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Paramount Global, parent company of Comedy Central.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount+’s international streaming license for South Park has expired, resulting in the platform pulling the show from its global service. The decision affects viewers in Canada, Australia, the U.K., Ireland, France, Italy, German-speaking Europe, and Latin America.
Outraged fans quickly took to Reddit and social media, expressing anger and disappointment. Many threatened to cancel their subscriptions, with users like @emale27 and @jaywinner stating they subscribed solely for South Park. Others mocked Paramount’s decision, comparing it to self-sabotage.
Despite the removal, Paramount+ retains rights to South Park specials internationally, and the show continues to air on Comedy Central’s global channels, including Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Australia/New Zealand. Additionally, Pluto.TV, Paramount’s ad-supported platform, still streams episodes in select territories.
For full episodes, fans can turn to Apple TV, Amazon Prime, or in some regions like Germany and Latin America, access ad-supported streaming via a dedicated South Park website.
This fragmented availability is far from the global streaming vision Paramount likely envisioned, especially ahead of South Park’s Season 27 premiere on July 23 in the U.S.—two weeks later than scheduled.
At the core of the issue is the collapse of a new international streaming agreement following the expiration of Paramount’s five-year deal with HBO Max. Ongoing negotiations stalled amid Paramount’s sale to Skydance Media, helmed by David Ellison.
See More ...
Complicating matters, Parker and Stone, through their entity Park County, have threatened legal action, accusing incoming Skydance president Jeff Shell of interfering with prior negotiations involving Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix. Allegedly, Shell urged WBD to shorten the licensing deal and grant Paramount+ an exclusive window—moves that devalued the franchise and hurt Park County’s position.
Skydance denied the allegations, stating, “Any accusation that Jeff Shell tried to lower the price or devalue the franchise is not only nonsensical but patently false.”
While Paramount still holds a $900 million deal for South Park that runs for two more years, the lack of unified international rights has left global fans deeply frustrated.
Still, the show’s loyal community is far from silent.
As one Reddit user quipped: “The silver lining of all this merger drama is that it’s bound to make for an excellent South Park takedown episode.”
