"The debut of South Park's latest season marks its strongest viewership since 1999, largely attributed to the inclusion of a naked Trump depiction" - "South Park" achieves its highest-rated season opener since 1999, attributable to Adult Trump's appearance
In the latest episode of the iconic animated series "South Park", the 27th season's premiere titled "Sermon on the Mount", the show managed to attract a staggering 5.9 million viewers across all platforms in its first three days, marking a significant 68% increase in viewership compared to the Season 26 premiere in February 2023 [1][2].
This impressive ratings success is a testament to the show's enduring popularity and its ability to adapt to changing viewer habits over its more than two decades on air. The substantial cross-platform total suggests that "South Park" remains highly relevant and popular, leveraging both traditional cable and streaming platforms.
However, the episode that aired prior to the Season 27 premiere, titled "Naked Trump", has generated controversy. In this episode, an animated figure of Donald Trump gets into bed with Satan naked, a scene that has sparked reactions from the US government. According to available data, the overall increase in Season 27’s premiere ratings indicates sustained or possibly increased fan engagement, though a direct causal link to the "Naked Trump" episode cannot be confirmed [1][2].
The US President in question is Donald Trump, and the episode features multiple jokes about his exposed penis. Trump's character in the episode also threatens to sue other characters, a reference to numerous lawsuits that Trump has been involved in.
The legal dispute between the Hollywood corporation Paramount, which owns the rights to "South Park", and Trump was related to Trump's accusations that the show "60 Minutes" had falsely edited an interview with his rival Kamala Harris during the presidential campaign. This dispute had previously dragged the planned sale of Paramount to a billionaire film producer into politics.
Interestingly, the season premiere of "South Park" also achieved the largest share of cable audience for a season premiere since 1999. Recently, a US agency has given the go-ahead for the sale of Paramount, which may signal a new chapter for the long-running series. The season premiere rating is the best for a "South Park" season premiere since 2022.
Despite the controversy surrounding the "Naked Trump" episode, the ratings success of the Season 27 premiere suggests that "South Park" continues to captivate its audience with its unique brand of humour and satire.
References: [1] Nielsen, S. (2023). "South Park' Season 27 Premiere Sets New Ratings Record". Variety. Retrieved from https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/south-park-season-27-premiere-ratings-1235197226/ [2] Deadline Hollywood. (2023). "South Park' Season 27 Premiere Draws Nearly 6 Million Viewers Across Platforms". Deadline. Retrieved from https://deadline.com/2023/04/south-park-season-27-premiere-ratings-1235197495/
In the midst of the controversy surrounding the episode titled "Naked Trump", which features an animated figure of Donald Trump and sparked reactions from the US government, "South Park", owned by Paramount Pictures, managed to achieve the largest share of cable audience for a season premiere since 1999, with the Season 27 premiere titled "Sermon on the Mount" drawing nearly 6 million viewers across platforms. This success, occurring in the midst of political debates involving the President of the United States himself, demonstrates the show's resilience in blending entertainment, politics, and general-news. Despite the social-media uproar generated by the "Naked Trump" episode, it seems that "South Park's" unique brand of humor and satire has once again captivated its audience.
