South Park Broke a 25-Year-Old Record With Trump Episode

South Park's latest season premiere delivered a ratings milestone for Comedy Central, as the show's Trump-focused satire drew in its largest season-opening audience since 1999. Paramount Global reported that the Season 27 debut, titled "Sermon on the Mount," pulled in nearly 6 million viewers across Paramount+ and Comedy Central within three days of its July 23 debut—a 68% jump from last season's premiere, per USA Today. The episode shot to the top of JustWatch's US streaming charts, with interest in the show spiking 638% domestically and 258% internationally compared to last year's kickoff, according to the platform's tracking of streaming activity.

The controversial storyline featured a mocking portrayal of President Trump, including a scene where he's depicted in bed with Satan—a jab at his reported ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Comedy Central bragged that the season premiere was the "most social episode across all TV," per CNN. The episode's viral reach didn't go unnoticed by the White House, with spokesperson Taylor Rogers dismissing South Park as "hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention." It doesn't look like the South Park team plans on letting up on current events anytime soon, either: A trailer for the next episode, airing Aug. 6, shows the animated president sharing another awkward moment with Satan during a formal dinner, hinting the show will continue to lampoon him in future episodes.