Paramount+ has lost the international streaming rights to South Park, which has resulted in it being removed from the service in the UK, Europe and other regions outside of the US.
Negotiations are reportedly underway to restore the 26 current seasons, plus add the new 27th season when it arrives later this month.
Paramount+ has been going great guns of late, with the likes of Mobland and a new Dexter series making the streaming service a must-have. And, of course, the new season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is set to debut on the platform this week.
However, while the service has been getting stronger in the last few months, it seems that it's also suffered a hitch – outside the US, at least.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, it has had to pull all of the seasons of South Park in international territories, including the UK. That means one its biggest selling points at launch is no longer available.
Eagle-eyed subscribers might be able to find the numerous specials still available through search – such as the hour-long South Park: Post Covid editions – but none of the 26 original seasons are there.
Fans outside the States will have to watch the show on Comedy Central instead.
The reason for its absence is that Paramount+ seemingly let the international streaming rights expire while its parent company, Paramount Global undergoes a merger with Skydance. It is claimed that negotiations to bring back all of South Park to the platform are "ongoing".
It might even be that the enduring animated show might end up elsewhere instead.
The Hollywood Reporter also reveals that South Park's creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, recently threatened to sue Paramount for allegedly interfering in contract negotiations with Warner Bros Discovery and Netflix.
As things stand though, the streaming service has two years left on its $900 million digital rights deal with Parker and Stone, so it's not likely to be moving from Paramount+ in the US anytime soon.
