South Park has been a mainstay on Comedy Central for over 300 episodes, known for its bold storylines and frequent references to pop culture. The show is heading into its 27th season, but fans will have to wait longer for the premiere. A dispute over streaming rights between creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Paramount Global, which owns Comedy Central, has delayed the new season’s start. South Park is not the only show affected. Digman!, an animated series starring Andy Samberg, has also had its premiere pushed back according to THR.
Digman! follows a group of celebrity archaeologists and is about to begin its second season. The new season will start on Wednesday, July 23, at 10:30 PM, right after South Park, which will air at 10:00 PM on the same night. The delay for South Park’s premiere was announced on July 2. Given that most episodes are very timely and make fun of current news, Trey Parker and Matt Stone did not hide their frustration. They posted on South Park’s official X account, “This merger is a sh*tshow and it’s f**king up South Park. We are at the studio working on new episodes and we hope the fans get to see them somehow.”
The Hollywood Reporter noted that both shows were originally set to premiere on July 9. The delay is connected to the planned merger between Skydance, led by David Ellison, and Paramount Global. The deal was supposed to close by July 9, but could be extended. Parker and Stone are concerned that Jeff Shell, who will become president of the merged company, is trying to lower the value of South Park’s digital rights when the current deal with Paramount ends in two years. They believe Shell wants the new company to control both the existing library and future episodes.
Digman! features Andy Samberg as Rip Digman, an archaeologist who returns to his field after a long break. Samberg also created the show and produces it, while Neil Campbell is the showrunner. The first season had eight episodes and a 57% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The second season will include voice actors such as Mitra Jouhari, Tim Robinson, Dale Soules, Guz Khan, Melissa Fumero, and Tim Meadows.
While viewers wait for new episodes of South Park, Parker and Stone have been outspoken about their efforts to protect the show. According to The Hollywood Reporter, they have threatened legal action, accusing Jeff Shell of interfering with their contract talks with Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix. Their company, Park County, sent a letter stating, “We hereby demand that you, Redbird, and Skydance immediately cease your interference. If these activities continue, we will have no choice but to act to both protect our rights and discharge any obligations we may have to the public.”
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