South Park season 27 finally has its streaming home after $1.5 billion bidding war

The media giant is currently in the process of merging with Skydance, a major Hollywood producer and financier, which reportedly objected to the 10-year, $3 billion deal that had initially been drawn up for securing the future of South Park.

As a result of the negotiations, South Park's international streaming rights lapsed and the show was pulled from Paramount+ outside of the United States, while the season 27 premiere was also delayed by a fortnight.

Fortunately, following a bidding war for the rights, a compromise has been found and regular service has now resumed, with a whopping 316 episodes of South Park restored to Paramount+ UK as of this morning.

Brand new episodes will eventually head to the streaming platform, but will air first on Comedy Central UK, with season 27 opener Sermon on the Mount scheduled to debut tonight at 10pm on the premium channel.

The five-year $1.5 billion deal (per the Los Angeles Times), which appears to have neatly halved the initial proposition, includes a 50-episode order for more South Park, although it's not yet clear exactly how these new chapters will be divided.

The length of South Park seasons has continually declined since the show's second season, which peaked at 18 episodes, with the latest runs dropping down to a mere six apiece.

These have, however, been accompanied by extended Paramount+ exclusive specials, such as The Streaming Wars, Joining the Panderverse and The End of Obesity, which have set their satirical sights on recent social and cultural trends.

For now, we'll just have to wait and see what Parker and Stone have planned, but longtime fans can at least rest assured that this period of uncertainty has come to an end.

Watch a trailer for South Park season 27 below (warning: contains strong language).

Chris McCarthy, Co-CEO of Paramount Global, commented: "Matt and Trey are singular, creative forces whose fearless humour and boundary pushing storytelling have made South Park one of the most beloved and enduring series ever — more popular today than at any point in its history, and one of the most valuable TV franchises in the world.

"They are exceptional talents and trusted partners – we're thrilled that Comedy Central and now Paramount+ globally will be the home to South Park for years to come and our thanks to the Skydance team for their vital partnership in making this happen."

South Park season 27 premieres tonight at 10pm on Comedy Central UK.

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