In a bold return, South Park has reignited its signature satirical fire—taking direct aim at Donald Trump in its Season 27 premiere, while creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone land a jaw-dropping $1.5 billion deal with Paramount.
In classic South Park fashion, the long-running animated series wasted no time diving into controversy in its Season 27 premiere, aired July 23, 2025. The episode, titled “Sermon on the ’Mount,” brutally parodies former President Donald Trump, tying him to Satan, mocking his anatomy, and drawing references to the infamous Jeffrey Epstein files, legal battles, and media scandals.
But that wasn’t the only headline-grabber. Just two days prior to the episode’s release, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone closed a record-breaking $1.5 billion streaming deal with Paramount Global, securing the future of South Park for at least five more years—and signaling the duo’s unmatched staying power in the world of adult animation and political satire.
The Season 27 premiere, “Sermon on the ’Mount”, doesn’t hold back. In the episode, a deepfake version of Donald Trump appears wandering the halls of a media studio completely nude—with googly eyes attached to his genitals—before crawling into bed with Satan, in what fans are calling one of the show’s most provocative and disturbing sequences to date.
The episode unapologetically targets Trump’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein’s list, his ongoing legal woes, Paramount’s recent lawsuit with Trump (which resulted in a $16 million settlement), and the broader Skydance Media merger. It also critiques what the creators perceive as growing media censorship and corporate hypocrisy. Viewers quickly drew parallels between the fictional media company in the episode and real-life CBS/Paramount—highlighting how executives in the storyline caved to Trump’s demands to produce “positive Trump content” in exchange for survival.
Critics have praised the premiere for its unflinching political commentary and “return to savage form,” with many saying that no other comedy on TV is willing to go this far anymore. Social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit lit up with reactions, both praising and critiquing the episode’s raunchy delivery and explosive message.
Behind the scenes, perhaps even more dramatic than the episode itself, is the $1.5 billion deal Parker and Stone struck with Paramount on July 21, 2025. The deal, managed through their Park County Productions, locks in five more years of South Park production, a minimum of 10 episodes per year (totaling 50 episodes), exclusive global streaming rights for Paramount+, and an annual payout of approximately $300 million.
This new agreement builds on their previous $900 million contract signed in 2021, which included several South Park movies and special projects. Industry insiders say this latest deal helps solidify Paramount’s content lineup at a time when it’s navigating a turbulent merger with Skydance Media.
What’s particularly striking—and very South Park—is the timing of the Trump episode. Just 48 hours after finalizing a billion-dollar contract with Paramount, the creators proceeded to eviscerate the same company in front of millions of viewers.
This juxtaposition raises important questions about creative freedom and corporate censorship in modern media. Despite the enormous financial backing, Parker and Stone made it crystal clear that their satirical voice cannot be bought. Instead, they’ve doubled down on their role as America’s most irreverent cultural critics.
Industry experts say this kind of corporate–creator relationship is rare—where the studio is both the benefactor and the butt of the joke. But Paramount seems to understand the value of Parker and Stone’s unfiltered approach, even if it means getting roasted on national television.
Fan response has been overwhelming. Within hours, clips of the premiere trended across platforms, with hashtags like #SouthParkTrump, #SermonOnTheMount, and #ParamountSatire dominating conversations. Political figures also responded. A White House press secretary dismissed the episode as “fourth-rate political parody,” while free speech advocates celebrated the return of uncompromising satire in a world often sanitized by political correctness.
Meanwhile, entertainment analysts have called the episode a “watershed moment” for the show, cementing South Park‘s relevance well into its third decade on air.
With Season 27 now underway and a massive streaming deal secured, South Park shows no signs of slowing down. Upcoming episodes are rumored to tackle the 2024 election fallout, AI-generated campaigns, tech moguls like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, climate change fatigue, and the rise of “main character syndrome” in Gen Z.
If “Sermon on the ’Mount” is any indication, fans can expect Parker and Stone to push boundaries even further, wielding satire as both sword and shield in today’s culture wars.
