Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the masterminds behind South Park, have expressed their frustration over the recent merger between Paramount and Skydance, which they claim is having a negative impact on their beloved show. 
In an angry statement posted on the official South Park social media, the duo called the merger a “s**tshow” that’s “f**king up South Park.”
The statement came after Paramount announced a two-week delay in the premiere of South Park Season 27. Originally slated for July 9, the premiere will now be held on July 23. This delay is just the latest in a series of issues tied to the ongoing merger between Paramount and Skydance, which has yet to receive final approval from the FCC. The entire situation has caused a significant amount of turmoil within the network, including layoffs and cancellations of other shows.
Parker and Stone’s reaction highlights just how deeply they care about maintaining the unique format of South Park, which is known for addressing current events with lightning speed. The show’s creators are famous for producing episodes on a rapid turnaround, sometimes only days before they air. A delay-even a short one-disrupts the timeliness of their commentary, which is crucial for the show’s humor. The delay also runs the risk of other outlets capitalizing on the same topics, rendering South Park’s jokes less impactful.
Additionally, there’s an ongoing legal struggle over streaming rights for the show. Paramount’s home network, Comedy Central, had an agreement with HBO Max for exclusive rights, but that deal expired in June. Negotiations for a new agreement between Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Netflix are still up in the air. According to reports, Parker and Stone allege that Jeff Shell, the incoming president of Paramount, has meddled in those negotiations.
Despite all these challenges, Parker and Stone remain at the studio, working on new episodes. Their hope is that, despite the chaos surrounding the merger and distribution issues, fans will still get to enjoy the new episodes as intended.