The Trump and Paramount takedown episode is also the show’s most talked-about episode on social media.
The “South Park” Season 27 premiere stirred controversy, and it paid off in viewership. The episode reached 5.9 million viewers across Comedy Central and Paramount+ within its first three days, according to Nielsen and internal data.
Titled “Sermon on the ‘Mount,” the episode included a viral takedown of President Trump and Paramount Global, the parent company of Comedy Central. It gave “South Park” its highest linear season premiere share since 1999 with a 9.20. This was a 68 percent increase from the Season 26 premiere in 2023, which had a 5.48. It also delivered the show’s best premiere rating since 2022 with a 0.996, which was 15 percent higher than the Season 26 premiere rating of 0.866.
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The episode was the No. 1 telecast across cable on its premiere night on July 23.
The strong ratings for the return of Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s animated comedy come as no surprise, as the premiere quickly turned into a viral hit. Paramount reported that the premiere episode became the show’s biggest ever across social platforms and was also the most-talked about TV series on the night it aired.
“South Park” stayed on X’s trending list for more than 12 hours, holding the top spot for five of them. The full episode was posted on social media, while key moments were also uploaded to YouTube and the South Park Studios website, boosting the visibility of the episode even further.
“Sermon on the ‘Mount” took aim at Trump and his settlement with Paramount Global over a “60 Minutes” lawsuit. The bold episode included a fake PSA featuring a not-entirely-AI naked Trump wandering the desert, presented as part of a settlement between the president and the show’s fictional town.
“South Park” will return with a new episode on Wednesday, Aug. 6, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Comedy Central. A repeat of the premiere will also air that same night.
Source: Variety