South Park season 27 cast into doubt due to behind-the-scenes feud

The creators of South Park have slammed Comedy Central after it was revealed that season 27 has been delayed even further.

New episodes of the cartoon were expected to arrive on the network on July 9, however it has since been announced that they will now air on July 23.

In response to the press release from Comedy Central about the change in premiere date, the show's creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone issued a scathing statement.

'This merger is a sh**show and it's f**king up South Park,' they said on the official X (formerly Twitter) account for South Park.

'We are the studio working on new episodes and we hope the fans get to see them somehow.'

The $8 billion merger, which is set to combine David Ellison's Skydance and Paramount Global, is scheduled to close by July 6.

Frustrated fans – who have already been waiting for over two years for the series - voiced their disappointment over the fresh delays.

Taking to X, one complained: 'This is a petty way of dealing with the Paramount/Warner dispute. Fans have been waiting a long time for a new season and they are pushing it back only for that reason.'

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'Oh no not delayed again,' said another.

A third added: 'I have a feeling it got pushed back because of the legal battle right now.'

'Come one man, I was so excited to watch S27 on my birthday,' added a fourth.

But others reasoned that it wasn't too much longer to wait.

'I was looking forward to next week but a two-week delay isn't that bad,' said one.

Another added: 'I've waited two years for South Park to come back like it's a HBO show or something.

'What's two more weeks of waiting? God I'm so excited.'

South Park has been delayed due to an ongoing issue with streaming rights.

Last week, its $500 million exclusive streaming licensing deal with HBO Max came to an end and has not been replaced.

Additionally, Comedy Central parent Paramount Global has long stated that it wants the show to air on its own streaming platform, Paramount+.

Parker and Stone also recently threatened Paramount with legal action, alleging that incoming president Jeff Shell was interfering in their Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix contract negotiations. 

As it currently stands, South Park's 27th season premiere will air on Wednesday, July 23 at 10pm ET/PT on Comedy Central.