Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone said a pending merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media is “a s—show” that is “f—king up ‘South Park,’” after Comedy Central pushed the animated comedy’s Season 27 premiere back two weeks to 10 p.m. ET/PT on July 23. The season had been scheduled to begin on July 9, marking the show’s first new batch of episodes since 2023. Paramount and Skydance reached an agreement last year that would hand control of Paramount Global to David Ellison’s Skydance; the deal faces a July 7 deadline and still requires FCC approval. Parker and Stone said corporate uncertainty tied to the roughly $8 billion transaction has already triggered release-date changes, cancellations and layoffs across Paramount properties, and is now disrupting production and scheduling for their flagship series. The pair are also locked in a dispute over streaming rights. An exclusive HBO Max licence lapsed in late June, and their company Park County alleges incoming Paramount president Jeff Shell has interfered with negotiations with Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix in a bid to steer the show to Paramount+. Two years remain on Paramount’s $900 million overall rights deal with the creators, who have threatened legal action unless the company stops meddling in outside offers.