South Park‘s recent fight with China proved, yet again, that the Comedy Central series is just as relevant today as it was two decades ago. Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s self-evident brilliance notwithstanding, however, Tuesday’s news that WarnerMedia’s forthcoming HBO Max platform has attained the exclusive streaming rights to the Viacom property’s catalog is just as indicative of this. After all, if entirely separate media companies are willing to haggle over some IP like this, then who’s to say it’s not significant?
During Tuesday’s WarnerMedia Day event, HBO Max head Kevin Reilly revealed the new streamer had scored the streaming rights to all 23 seasons of South Park for the United States. So, in June 2020 — a month after HBO Max’s official launch — the show’s massive catalog of episodes will all be available to stream only for the new platform’s subscribers. What’s more, the next three seasons of the Comedy Central series will also be available on HBO Max, albeit 24 hours after each episode’s broadcast.
“South Park is unequivocally among the best — setting the satirical gold standard, with a consistent finger on the comedy pulse,” said Reilly. “Audiences have connected with Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny — either alive or dead — for over 20 years, and we look forward to connecting these characters to new audiences on HBO Max.”
South Park‘s addition to HBO Max’s growing pantheon of original and licensed animated programs means it will be among great company. From brand new episodes of Adventure Time and The Boondocks to all of Studio Ghibli’s treasured films, the new streamer may soon become the one to beat for prime animated content.
