‘South Park’ Gets Three More Seasons, Big Hulu Deal

Fans can expect to head on down to South Park for at least three more seasons, as the popular Comedy Central series has been extended through 2019. In addition, all of the previous seasons of South Park will be showing up on Hulu as part of a new licensing agreement.

According to a press release, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone agreed to a new deal for 30 brand new episodes of South Park over the course of three seasons. This new deal will have cable’s longest-running scripted series pass the 300th episode milestone in 2019.

Comedy Central’s president, Michele Ganeless, said she is “thrilled” to have more South Park on the air.

“The series remains as urgent and relevant now as the day it premiered and at nearly 20 seasons in, it continues to draw generations of new fans.”

Doug Herzog, the president of Viacom, said that as South Park nears the 20-year mark, the series is still as popular as it was when it started.

“South Park today remains as important and influential as any series on any platform and has become one of the most recognizable brands to ever come out of television.”

Since its inception in 1997, South Park has satirized many celebrities and well-known figures, including Barbra Streisand, Russell Crowe, Hillary Clinton, and Mel Gibson. The series has also tackled several controversial issues and news stories — with some of the most recent episodes spoofing the revoking of the Washington Redskins’ trademark, the celebrity phone hack that made provocative photos available online without their consent, and the use of drones. While it’s uncertain what Parker and Stone have in store for the new season, it’s highly likely that they’ll continue down the same path, and fans can expect to see more jabs at popular figures and highly-discussed topics.

In addition to extending South Park through 2019, the series will soon become available on the subscription-based streaming video service, Hulu Plus. According to Variety, the entire series will be available starting July 12 on both Hulu Plus and SouthPark.cc.com. When the new season premieres on September 24, both streaming services will offer access to the new episodes the day after they air on Comedy Central, and there will also be an alternating list of 30 episodes from previous seasons available to watch on demand.

In a statement, via Variety, Parker and Stone called their partnership with Hulu “natural.”

“We are excited that the entire library will be available on Hulu and that the best technology around will power South Park Digital Studios.”

Are you excited to see more South Park?

[Image credit: Comedy Central via Engadget]