Paramount Pictures
A “South Park” episode that mocked President Donald Trump, CBS, and parent company Paramount Global drew record ratings, Paramount said.
The premiere of the animated series’ 27th season attracted 5.9 million viewers across Comedy Central and Paramount+ in its first three days, Paramount said Wednesday.
The show also garnered its biggest audience share for a linear premiere since 1999 and its best season premiere rating since 2022.
It was the “most social episode” in South Park history and the most discussed program on television the night it aired, a press release from Paramount said.
The episode aired just hours after creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker inked a reported $1.5 billion deal with Paramount to extend the series.
That didn’t stop them from criticizing their new corporate partner.
Titled “Sermon on the Mount,” the episode depicted Trump in bed with a cartoon Satan, joked about his genitalia, and ended with a deepfake of a naked Trump wandering the desert in a parody PSA.
It also mocked CBS’ abrupt cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and Paramount’s $16 million settlement with Trump.
The episode also turned inward, using its plot to critique Paramount directly.
At one point, Jesus — a recurring character in the show — tells a classroom that he’s present “because of a lawsuit and the agreement with Paramount,” warning students that “South Park is over” if they don’t keep quiet.
“You guys saw what happened to CBS? Well, guess who owns CBS? Paramount,” he says. “You really want to end up like Colbert?”
After it aired, a White House spokesperson told Business Insider that the episode was “a desperate attempt for attention.” In a separate statement, another spokesperson said, “No fourth-rate show can derail President Trump’s hot streak.”
Trump himself shrugged off the mockery, quoting his own media mantra: “If you get ratings, you can say or do anything.”
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