'South Park' Fans, We Have Some Bad News — Your Favorite Show Is Leaving Hulu
Is 'South Park' leaving Hulu? Will this impact the content of the show in any shape or form? And what exactly is HBO Max anyway? Details!
Apr. 20 2020, Updated 2:13 p.m. ET
The 300th episode of South Park aired on Oct. 9, 2019, making it one of the oldest-running animated sitcoms out there. Created in 1997 by Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the program amassed unprecedented popularity among young adults, and it's easy to see why.
The show makes for an attractive asset for every streaming platform. After weeks of intense bidding, it was announced on Oct. 29 that HBO Max will acquire the show.
Hold on for a second. What's happening? Is South Park leaving Hulu?
The second half of 2019 marked the emergence of a new trend among streaming platforms and more traditional production studios. As Bloomberg's Nick Turner prompts, an increasing number of viewers opt to watch television shows online as opposed to traditional broadband platforms. To cater to this tendency, larger companies and disruptors alike have turned to invest in streaming services. Long story short: television sets will soon become the stuff of feverous, nostalgia-fuelled longing.
The Comcast Corporation is about to launch Peacock, a new website expected to repeat the unbridled success of Netflix. They already acquired rights to stream The Office and Parks and Recreation, alongside programs dating back to the 90s. Meanwhile, HBO Max will up the ante by providing exclusive access to Friends, which they famously snatched up from Netflix earlier this year. Drawing on a wealth of research, Nick hints that the way we consume entertainment will undergo rapid changes.
How does South Park come into this?
South Park makes for a very promising asset for every streaming service. As one of the oldest-running and most-popular shows out there, it amassed a loyal fan base and is unlikely to lose momentum anytime soon.
The month of October saw fierce competition among the high profile companies to acquire the show, and it was HBO Max that won the bidding and succeeded to close a $500 million streaming deal on Oct. 29.
When will South Park be leaving Hulu? You've got till summer 2020.
The show will leave Hulu and migrate to HBO Max in the summer of 2020. While the content of the show is unlikely to change in the slightest, the fans eager to watch the show are bound to face some probing decisions.
As the Hollywood Reporter reveals, the $500 million deal set a new standard for services eager to acquire older, ever-popular programs. This is the highest price a show has ever been sold, marking a new phrase for the growing tendency.
"South Park is unequivocally among the best — setting the satirical gold standard, with a consistent finger on the comedy pulse," said Kevin Reilly, the chief content officer of HBO Max, before adding that, "Audiences have connected with Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny — either alive or dead — for over 20 years, and we look forward to connecting these characters to new audiences on HBO Max."
