South Park Season 27 premiere breaks record made in 1999

South Park Season 27 Episode 1 was one of the ballsiest premieres in recent memory, and the viewership figures speak for themselves, with the show breaking a record it set back in 1999. 

Trey Parker and Matt Stone didn’t hold back. The episode, titled ‘Sermon on the ‘Mount’, shows an animated Donald Trump in a sexual relationship with Satan, followed by a satirical PSA in which a realistic (and naked) version of the POTUS receives a message from his “teeny tiny” penis. 

Although the episode has come under fire from the White House, generally it’s been well received, especially after the bidding war between Paramount and Warner Bros. left South Park’s future up in the air. 

Parker and Stone signed a $1.5 billion deal just hours before the Season 27 premiere, securing its home at Paramount. And it looks like the studio made the right move, as the viewership figures prove it’s still got authoritah. 

South Park Season 27 Episode 1 breaks 26 year old record

According to new figures, Season 27 Episode 1 is the biggest linear premiere for South Park since 1999, up 68% on the Season 26 debut. 

It also drew in a whopping 5.9 million viewers on the Paramount Plus streaming service and linear channel Comedy Central in the first three days of availability, July 24-26.

And it didn’t stop there – in the key adults 18-49 demographic, South Park pulled a 0.996 rating, making it the show’s highest demo rating since 2022, and marking a 15% increase over last season’s debut.

Over on IMDb, it’s been scored 9.6 stars out of 10, a massive leap from Season 26 Episode 1’s 7.3. These figures are promising, especially as Parker and Stone look set to continue the chaos. 

Episode 2 of the latest chapter has been delayed due to the fast turnaround nature of the show, meaning we’ll be getting it on August 6 instead. But the creators did share a trailer, which shows Trump and Satan’s return. 

The clip also features Cartman doing his best impression of right-wing activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, while Mr. Mackey tags along on some ICE raids. In short, we’re in for another wild ride – and potentially another record-breaking episode.