As South Park's deal with Hulu nears its end, a bidding war over which streaming service will gets the rights to the animated comedy series has been transpiring. According to Bloomberg, as many as a half-dozen companies have tried to acquire the 23-season catalog for U.S. viewers and the Comedy Central show is expected to settle on a contract worth about $500 million.
In 2015, Hulu paid a record-breaking $192 million to extend their contract with South Park. However, today, many more streaming services are in the race and have their eyes set on the Trey Parker and Matt Stone-created series. Hulu is reportedly fighting against HBO Max and Peacock for the rights, which are both set to launch in 2020. South Park has been one of Hulu's most-watched shows, so the service is eager to maintain its hold on it. A $500 million contract would put South Park's value in the same ballpark as Seinfeld, which was recently sold to Netflix for a similarly massive amount.
Wherever the show happens to sign a deal, Parker and Stone will remain its owners, along with media conglomerate, Viacom. The money made from selling the U.S. streaming rights will be split 50-50 between the show's two creators and Viacom.
