The long-running adult animated series South Park made a bold return with its 27th season in July, kicking things off by mocking the current U.S. President in its premiere episode. While the show has been topping streaming charts recently, it’s now facing a major behind-the-scenes shift.
According to Deadline, South Park will now fall under the leadership of Paramount/CBS executive George Cheeks following the Paramount/Skydance merger. The show is produced by South Park Digital Studios, a joint venture between Paramount and creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s Park County. Cheeks, currently the co-CEO of Paramount Global, has also been appointed Chair of TV Media as part of the merger.
In his expanded role, Cheeks will manage Paramount’s broadcast and cable TV divisions, including CBS Network, CBS News, CBS Sports, CBS Studios, BET Studios, Nickelodeon Studios, See It Now Studios, and Paramount Media Networks, which encompasses MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and BET.
Cheeks already oversees The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which has been canceled by Paramount-owned CBS. Colbert’s final episode is scheduled for May 2026. Alongside South Park and The Late Show, Cheeks will also supervise Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. All three programs have featured criticism of both President Donald Trump and Paramount. As reported by The Daily Beast, Cheeks was behind the decision to cancel The Late Show.
This shakeup at Paramount follows closely behind the $1.5 billion exclusive five-year deal Parker and Stone inked with Paramount+. Under this agreement, Paramount+ secured exclusive streaming rights to every season of South Park and its feature-length specials. The creators are also committed to producing at least 50 new episodes during the five-year span.
The 27th season premiered with the episode titled “Sermon on the ‘Mount,” which aired on Comedy Central. The episode sparked backlash for its portrayal of an animated Trump in bed with Satan and a Deepfake version of the President wandering naked in the desert. The White House responded strongly, with Assistant Press Secretary Taylor Rogers saying,
This show hasn’t been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention.
South Park is Dominating the Streaming Charts
The controversy may have paid off, South Park is currently the No. 1 most-streamed show on Paramount+, according to FlixPatrol, and has stayed in the Top 10 since its July 23 season premiere. Just a few days after the premiere, the recently canceled Late Show with Stephen Colbert even referenced the show in Colbert’s monologue.
Colbert expressed support for South Park’s use of AI to create the Deepfake of Trump. “And I completely agree with this one,” Colbert said. “Because if the government interfered with private AI, innovators of South Park wouldn’t be able to make important videos like this one. That is a message of hope,” he added, noting that Trump had recently signed an executive order to deregulate AI.
What lies ahead for both South Park and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert under the new leadership remains uncertain. However, South Park appears far from done with stirring up controversy. The upcoming August 6 episode will once again feature Trump and Satan, and will parody right-wing activist and Trump supporter Charlie Kirk.
New episodes of South Park air Wednesdays on Comedy Central and stream on Paramount+. You can also watch new season of South Park on 10Play for free.
Source: Deadline, The Daily Beast