Warner Bros. Discovery has filed a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures Corp. over the potential sale of the South Park streaming service. According to the lawsuit, Paramount is attempting to block Warner Bros. Discovery from buying the streaming service, which could potentially interfere with its already-established business dealings.
The lawsuit was filed on Monday in the California Superior Court in Los Angeles and centers around the South Park streaming rights. Warner Bros. Discovery recently reached a deal to buy the streaming service for $200 million and was in the process of finalizing terms.
However, Paramount Pictures Corporation has reportedly stepped in and attempted to stop the sale from taking place. According to the lawsuit, Paramount has a “co-production and/or development deal” with South Park Digital, which owns the streaming rights to the hit show South Park.
It’s believed that Paramount intends to buy the service for itself and is feared that, if successful, the company would have an unfair advantage over Warner Bros. Discovery. This would give the company access to exclusive South Park content, which could potentially interfere with the agreements already in place between Warner Bros. Discovery and streaming services like Amazon and Netflix.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s lawsuit alleges that Paramount’s interference constitutes a breach of competitive conduct that could lead to damages and lost profits. The company is seeking an injunction that would prevent Paramount from buying the service and is asking for punitive damages.
This is not the first time that Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Pictures have come to blows over South Park. The companies have been engaged in a legal dispute since 2019, when Paramount filed a lawsuit claiming Warner Bros. Discovery was illegally distributing South Park episodes outside of the US.
The current dispute appears to be the latest development in a long-running battle between the two media giants. With so much at stake, it could be a long and costly fight before any resolution is reached.