- Film And TV
- 28 Jul 25
South Park viewership surges 258% following Trump episode
Recent data from streaming guide JustWatch shows a 258% increase in streaming activity, pushing the long-running animated series to the top of current viewing charts.
South Park has seen a 258% rise in viewership following the release of a new episode making fun of President Donald Trump.
The episode titled Sermon on the Mount, launched the show's 27th season and contains a scene where a cartoon Trump is depicted as being in a sexual relationship with Satan.
The episode ended with an AI-generated fake ad scene where Trump strips off his clothes and falls, totally nude, followed by a penis rising into frame and saying in a high-pitched voice, "I'm Donald J. Trump and I endorse this message."
Within 24 hours, South Park surpassed viewership over titles including Netflix drama Untamed, The Osbournes, and Amazon Prime’s The Summer I Turned Pretty, according to the report.
The episode drew criticism from the Trump administration.
In a statement, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said, “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.”
Addressing the controversy, South Park co-creator Trey Parker made a brief sarcastic statement at San Diego Comic-Con.
“We’re terribly sorry,” he said at the beginning of a panel, followed by a mock-serious face and prolonged pause.
The approval came about a week after CBS, a Paramount-owned network, announced the cancellation of The Late Show, hosted by comedian Stephen Colbert.
Colbert previously criticised Paramount for settling a $16 million lawsuit with Donald Trump against CBS, allegedly used to help receive government approval for an $8 billion merger with Skydance.
On last week's The Late Show, Colbert said, "for the next 10 months, the gloves are off", before making a joke about Trump's reaction to his cancellation.
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