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Los Angeles – Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of South Park, have publicly slammed the ongoing Skydance‑Paramount merger, calling it a “shitshow” after the announcement that Season 27’s premiere on Comedy Central has been delayed by two weeks.

Originally scheduled to debut on Comedy Central on July 9, the new season will now launch on July 23. In a pointed message shared online, Parker and Stone blamed the merger process for disrupting their production schedule and interfering with long-standing business agreements.

Their frustration goes beyond just the delay. According to the creators, Jeff Shell—an executive at RedBird Capital expected to take over as Paramount president post-merger—intervened in streaming rights negotiations. Parker and Stone allege that Shell pressured Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery to give Comedy Central’s sister platform Paramount+ exclusive windows for new episodes, on terms they found unfavorable.

In response, Park County, the production company owned by Parker and Stone, sent a cease-and-desist letter to Shell, RedBird, and Skydance, warning them to stop interfering in the show’s contractual affairs. Skydance and RedBird, however, claimed that they are within their rights under the merger agreement to review major contracts involving South Park.

Although Paramount currently holds the digital rights to South Park for another two years, negotiations over the next streaming destination remain stalled. Parker and Stone expressed their frustration, saying this corporate chaos is “f***ing up South Park,” but assured fans that new episodes are still being produced.

Season 27 of South Park will now premiere on July 23 at 10 p.m. ET on Comedy Central. As the merger continues to unfold, fans and industry insiders alike will be watching closely to see how it impacts the show’s future on both television and streaming platforms.