More South Park on the Way

Tue., Aug. 28, 2007 10:08 AM PDT by Josh Grossberg

Stan, Kyle, Cartman, Kenny and the rest of the gang are going virtual in a really big way.

South Park masterminds Trey Parker and Matt Stone have inked a lucrative new production pact with Comedy Central's parent company, Viacom, which not only renews the long-running animated series for another three years but also gives it a sizable presence in the digital realm.

According to the New York Times, the pair will be paid approximately $75 million over the next four years to produce three more seasons. Containing 14 episodes each, they will carry South Park through 2011, its 15th season.

As part of what's being billed as a "momentous joint venture," the creative partners will also split all ad revenue 50-50 with Viacom to "spread South Park-related material across the Net, mobile platforms and video games."

"Three more years of South Park gives us the opportunity to offend that many more people," said Stone. "And since Trey and I are in charge of the digital side of South Park for the first time, now we can offend people on their cell phones, game consoles and computers, too. It's all very exciting for us."

Parker and Stone plan to redesign their digital hub, SouthParkStudios.com, early next year to centralize South Park's digital media in one place. That way, fans of the foul-mouthed fourth graders can legally watch as many clips of the 'toon as their hearts desire.

"If I’m overseas and have to get an episode right away," noted Stone, "you literally have to go to an illegal download site."

The Website will also serve as a laboratory for the duo to dream up various new animated characters and projects.

"This extension and the formation of the joint venture are the beginnings of a new era for South Park and Comedy Central and a natural evolution of our long-term and prosperous relationship with Trey and Matt," said Viacom chief Doug Herzog.

The idea of a digital animation studio pleases Parker and Stone, as their last contract was signed before clip-aggregating sites like Google's YouTube burst onto the scene, forcing Viacom to sue in order to prevent its copyrighted material from being distributed without a license.

The new site will not only seek to address that problem but will also help make the South Park guys a leader in the creation of digital content. And by sharing ad revenue with Parker and Stone, the media conglom rewards them for helping put Comedy Central on the map while giving them a stake in the 'toon powerhouse for which they'll be forever known and an incentive to build the brand further.

"The idea that we’re getting a little piece of it back—and in five years we’ll probably be going to court and fighting about it—but in ownership terms, that’s kind of an amazing thing," Parker told the Times by phone from Istanbul. "People always ask us, 'You own it, right? No? Why’d you sign that deal?' And I have to say, 'Because I was sleeping on my friend’s couch.' "

Additionally, since Parker and Stone only spend about 20 weeks a year working on South Park episodes, the agreement also allows them plenty of time to develop three new series for Comedy Central as well.

South Park has been the cable channel's highest-rated program since it premiered in 1997.