Deal for 30 new episodes

South Park has been renewed for three more seasons.

The new Comedy Central deal will keep the show on air until 2019, breaking through the 300 episode barrier.

With the 30 new episodes the show will run for 23 series – its 19th is due to start in the States this September, and it is already Comedy Central’s longest-running scripted primetime series.

As always, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone will write and direct each episode, as they have since the show started in 1997.

The deal is said to have been helped with a $192million injection from Hulu over the next five years to keep the show on its streaming service. It is Hulu’s biggest deal after the $160million it recently paid for Seinfeld.

‘South Park today remains as important and influential as any series on any platform and has become one of the most recognisable brands to ever come out of television,’ said Doug Herzog, president of Comedy Central owner Viacom.

Parker and Stone said in a statement: ‘We love working for Doug and with everyone at Comedy Central. They’ve given us an insane level of artistic and creative freedom for almost 20 years. They walk the walk.’

Published: 8 Jul 2015