HBO Max parent company Warner Bros. Discovery is suing Paramount Global over the streaming rights for its long-running Comedy Central series “South Park.” The lawsuit is related to a 2019 licensing agreement between the two giants, which was brokered for more than $500 million.
According to the suit, which was filed in New York’s Supreme Court on Friday, WBD alleges that Paramount reneged on parts of the deal, breaching the agreed-upon contract by maneuvering the animated show’s new content (which it deems more valuable than its library) onto its own streamer Paramount+.
“We believe that Paramount and South Park Digital Studios embarked on a multi-year scheme of unfair trade practices and deception, flagrantly and repeatedly breaching our contract, which clearly gave HBO Max exclusive streaming rights to the existing library and new content from the popular animated comedy ‘South Park,” HBO Max said in a statement to TheWrap.