The highly-anticipated Season 27 premiere of “South Park” has proven to be a massive success in terms of viewership. Paramount has reported that the new episode attracted 5.9 million viewers across Paramount+ and Comedy Central within the first three days of its release. This total viewership metric is calculated as the total global watch time divided by the run time from July 24-26.
The premiere episode has also achieved significant milestones for the show. It marked the largest linear premiere for “South Park” since 1999 and became the top telecast in all of cable on the Wednesday it aired. Additionally, the episode garnered the highest rating in the adults 18-49 demographic since 2022, with a rating of 0.996. This was a 15% increase compared to the Season 26 premiere’s rating of 0.866.
For fans who may have missed the initial airing, an encore presentation of the episode titled “Sermon on the ‘Mount” will be shown tonight on Comedy Central. Furthermore, viewers can look forward to a new episode scheduled for August 6.
In this season premiere, series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone took a direct dig at President Donald Trump and his criticisms of Comedy Central’s parent company, Paramount Global. Trump’s character is portrayed in a manner reminiscent of how the show depicted Saddam Hussein, including depicting him in a sexual relationship with Satan. The episode concludes with a parody public service announcement featuring a naked Trump stumbling through the desert.
Parker and Stone recently inked a deal with Paramount Global for an additional 50 episodes of “South Park.” The reported value of this extension is $300 million annually for the next five years. As part of this agreement, the entire “South Park” library has been moved to Paramount+, with new episodes being available for streaming on the platform after their initial airing on Comedy Central.
Fans of the irreverent animated series can expect more satirical humor and social commentary as Parker and Stone continue to push the boundaries with their iconic show. With the show’s continued success and a dedicated fan base, “South Park” remains a cultural phenomenon that shows no signs of slowing down.