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HBO Max Sues Paramount Over ‘South Park’ Streaming Rights
- HBO claims ‘blatant’ theft of content to prop up Paramount+
- Exclusive right to stream comedy series was signed in 2019
Characters from “South Park.”
Photographer: Tibrina Hobson/Getty ImagesHBO Max operator Warner Bros Discovery Inc. accused Paramount Global of conspiring with the creators of South Park to keep some of the show’s content out of HBO’s more than $500 million deal for exclusive streaming rights to the cartoon comedy series.
In a lawsuit filed Friday in New York state court, Warner alleged a “multi-year scheme” by Paramount to divert content in a “blatant” attempt to prop up its own streaming service, Paramount+, with help from South Park Digital Studios and MTV Entertainment Studios. HBO is seeking more than $200 million in damages.