The battle between Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount Global over the streaming rights to Eric Cartman and the South Park gang continues to rage on. In their latest move, Warner Bros Discovery is rejecting Paramount’s attempt to dismiss their $200 million lawsuit.
Warner Bros Discovery argues that Paramount’s motion downplays the misconduct that led to the lawsuit in the first place. They point out that South Park Digital Studios had agreed to make Warner’s HBO Max the exclusive streaming platform for new episodes of South Park. However, Paramount later launched its own streaming platform, Paramount+, causing regret for granting exclusive rights to Warner.
The initial lawsuit stems from a 2019 deal where Warner acquired the domestic streaming rights to past seasons of South Park. The agreement was going smoothly until Warner stopped paying in protest earlier this year. They claim that Paramount and MTV Entertainment found a loophole in the deal, allowing them to retain new seasons of South Park and create original movies based on the series.
Adding insult to injury, a subscriber seeking Paramount+ claimed that by 2025, the platform would be the global streaming hub for all South Park content. Warner argues that these actions by Paramount constitute bad faith conduct and deceptive acts to lure viewers away from HBO Max.
Warner Bros Discovery is determined to keep the streaming war alive and active, asserting that Paramount’s motion to dismiss is groundless. They are asking the judge to schedule an oral argument hearing to decide the fate of Paramount’s motion.
In addition to the legal battle, there is also Paramount’s countersuit of over $50 million. The two conglomerates are locked in a fierce dispute, reminiscent of the feisty characters in South Park.
Neither Warner Bros Discovery nor Paramount Global have commented on this latest development.
