Warner Bros. Discovery filed a lawsuit against Paramount on Friday, alleging that the rival media company violated their half-billion-dollar exclusivity agreement with HBO Max by streaming “South Park” on Paramount+’s platform.
HBO Max, owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, which also controls CNN, holds rights to most “South Park” episodes, initially secured in a 2019 auction with Paramount and the show’s creators. The agreement included streaming rights for the first 23 seasons and three upcoming seasons exclusively on HBO Max.
According to the lawsuit, prior to Warner Bros. Discovery’s merger with WarnerMedia in 2022, AT&T had agreed to pay almost $1.7 million per episode for exclusive streaming rights. The delivery of new episodes was delayed due to the pandemic, with Paramount’s launch of Paramount+ in March 2021 allegedly prompting efforts to redirect “South Park” content to boost the new streaming service.
Warner Bros. Discovery claims Paramount and South Park Digital Studios collaborated to funnel content to Paramount+, promising 30 new episodes across three seasons but delivering only 14 episodes so far.
HBO Max issued a statement accusing Paramount and South Park Digital Studios of deceptive practices and breaching their contract. Paramount countered, asserting it fulfilled its obligations by delivering new “South Park” episodes to HBO Max, despite Warner Bros. Discovery allegedly failing to pay owed license fees.
The lawsuit, filed in New York State Supreme Court, also challenges a separate $900 million deal between MTV (a Paramount subsidiary) and “South Park” creators, alleging it violated contractual terms by producing 14 “made-for-streaming” movies for Paramount+.
Warner Bros. Discovery accuses the defendants of using ambiguous terms like “movies,” “films,” and “events” to circumvent contractual obligations. The lawsuit quotes statements from “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone about the deal with MTV, claiming they described having “f—k you money now.”
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