With all the backlash in the Narutoverse, I think TV Tokyo gave them the notice besides decrease of popularity to make more room for other shows. And you notice how SP made Chie said those pro-NS comments in the interview seems like a joke. First they said that Narutos love for Sakura is only for rivalry with Sasuke and he couldn't tell the difference between ramen and love. You see how SP likes to discard the actual events wants to go back to the original. In positive at least 60% that the CPR True Ending will be the last episode SP animates. All they doing is try to salvage their reputation if they do that because they know NS was the core of the manga.
NS was the decisive resolution to a believable and developed relationship subplot, but that's the extent of its relevancy. For most people, the pairings were just a minor side-attraction to the overarching action based manga. While a number of people have put Naruto behind them after the final chapter/movie, a notable segment continues to follow the anime out of anticipation for key events like the 8th gate being finally unveiled after years of hyping it up as a power superior the Hokages' and Naruto and Sasuke's rematch. They still have 15 weeks before the spawn parody is released to the public to suffer through.
A single anime episode can cover 3-4 chapters worth of content depending on the amount of incorporated filler. Another 5 weeks worth of needless filler won't dampen their prospects of completing Naruto before August 7th if the following episodes are entirely dedicated to animating the canon manga. They won't discontinue Naruto since it's in the final stages of the plotline. Thirteen years dedicated to the series. Do you believe they would sacrifice laying down the finishing touches of their crowning series after having a hand in the manga's canonicity?
