Finding exactly where to watch South Park feels like a chore lately. It shouldn’t be this hard to find a cartoon about four foul-mouthed kids in Colorado. But thanks to massive licensing deals, corporate mergers, and a billion-dollar lawsuit between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount, the streaming rights are a bit of a mess. Honestly, it’s the kind of bureaucratic nightmare Trey Parker and Matt Stone would probably dedicate a whole season to mocking.
You’ve probably been there. You open one app, and it’s gone. You check another, and it only has the "specials." If you're trying to binge-watch from the very beginning—we're talking 1997, Spirit of Christmas vibes—you need a roadmap.
The Main Hub: Max and the Licensing Chaos
Currently, the primary home for all 26+ seasons of the show is Max (formerly HBO Max). This is where the bulk of the library lives. If you want to see "Scott Tenorman Must Die" or the "Imaginationland" trilogy, this is your best bet.
But there’s a catch.
Back in 2019, WarnerMedia dropped roughly $500 million to snatch the domestic streaming rights away from Hulu. It was a massive win for them at the time. However, Paramount (the parent company of Comedy Central) eventually decided they wanted a piece of that streaming pie for their own service, Paramount+. This led to a legal feud that’s still making headlines in the trades. Warner Bros. Discovery basically sued Paramount Global, claiming they were "doubling dipping" by moving new specials over to Paramount+ while Max was still paying for exclusivity.
It's messy. For you, the viewer, it means the show is split down the middle.
Where to Find the Post-COVID Specials
If you are looking for the "Post COVID" specials, "The Streaming Wars," or "Not Suitable for Children," you won't find them on Max. Those are exclusive to Paramount+.
Paramount+ rebranded these long-form episodes as "exclusive events." Technically, they aren't "seasons," which is how they got around the Max contract. It’s a loophole you could drive a bus through. If you want the full South Park experience in 2026, you kind of need both subscriptions, or you have to be very strategic about when you sign up for free trials.
Don't forget the official South Park website either. SouthPark.cc.com still hosts a rotating selection of free episodes. It's not the whole catalog, and you have to sit through some pretty repetitive ads, but it’s the legal "poor man’s" way to get a fix.
Digital Purchases and Global Differences
Sometimes, you just want to own it. You don't want to worry about a CEO somewhere deciding to vault an episode because of a licensing dispute.
You can buy individual seasons or episodes on:
- Apple TV / iTunes
- Amazon Prime Video
- Vudu / Fandango at Home
- Google Play
Buying the seasons is expensive upfront. No doubt about that. But considering how many episodes have been "soft-banned" or removed from streaming services over the years—think "Super Best Friends" or the Tom Cruise/Scientology episodes—having a physical DVD set or a permanent digital copy is the only way to ensure you actually see everything the creators intended.
The International Perspective
If you are outside the United States, the rules change completely. In many regions, like the UK or Canada, Paramount+ actually holds the rights to the entire library because the Max deal was specific to the U.S. market. It’s much cleaner over there. Some fans use a VPN to bounce their location to the UK just to keep everything in one app, though your mileage may vary depending on how aggressive the streaming services are at blocking those connections this week.
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Why Some Episodes Are Missing
Even if you find the right place where to watch South Park, you might notice gaps. There are five "forbidden" episodes that rarely appear on any streaming platform:
- "Super Best Friends" (Season 5)
- "Cartoon Wars Part I" (Season 10)
- "Cartoon Wars Part II" (Season 10)
- "200" (Season 14)
- "201" (Season 14)
These were pulled due to controversies regarding the depiction of religious figures. If you see these on a streaming list, it’s a rarity. Usually, you have to track down the old-school physical media to see them. It’s a bit of a treasure hunt for completionists.
Actionable Strategy for Fans
To get the most value for your money while trying to keep up with the residents of South Park, follow this logic:
- Check Max first for the legacy library. If you are a casual viewer who just wants the classic episodes, this is the most bang for your buck.
- Subscribe to Paramount+ for one month once or twice a year. Use this time to binge all the "exclusive events" and specials you missed, then cancel. There isn't enough new South Park content on Paramount+ yet to justify a permanent year-round subscription if that's the only reason you're there.
- Use the South Park Studios website for quick, free viewing if you’re okay with a random selection. It’s perfect for a 20-minute lunch break.
- Invest in the Season 1-20 DVD/Blu-ray bundles if you’re worried about censorship. Streaming services edit things. Discs don't change.
The landscape will likely shift again in 2027 when the current domestic deals expire. Until then, keep your logins handy and your expectations for a "one-stop-shop" low.