South Park season 27, episode 2, “Got a Nut has set new viewership records. The latest South Park season got off to a controversial start with the premiere episode “Sermon on the Mount”, which included President Donald Trump getting into bed with Satan.
Episode 2 did not shy away from controversy either, as it featured United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem shooting dogs and arresting immigrants, along with Vice President JD Vance being depicted as a miniature version of himself while standing next to Trump.
According to Variety, the second episode received 6.2 million global views across Paramount+ and Comedy Central from August 6-August 8. This was even higher than the 5.9 million cross-platform views that came from season 27’s premiere episode.
“Got a Nut” also had the highest young-adult viewership ever for South Park, with an increase of 54% from the previous episode. As for total viewership on Comedy Central, it was 1.56 million, a significant increase from the premiere’s 1.07 million.
What This Means For South Park
Despite being in season 27, South Park seems to be at the forefront of popular culture in a way that it has not been for a while. This season, breaking its own viewership records after only two episodes, speaks volumes about how the uncompromising and blunt political commentary is resonating with audiences.
Instead of the controversies hurting the series, they are helping it. The significantly higher viewership just between episodes 1 and 2 proves the widespread level of interest in audiences wanting to see the controversial scenes for themselves instead of just waiting to see clips on social media.
“Sermon on the Mount” and “Got a Nut” have already cemented themselves as two of South Park‘s most rewatchable episodes. Conversations around both installments are continuing long after the episodes were released, and that momentum will likely not be broken as season 27 progresses.
Our Take On South Park’s New Viewership Records
Given the extensive discourse surrounding the latest South Park episodes, the surge in viewership is not too surprising, although it bodes well for the show’s future. Instead of shying away from the current political climate as many shows have, South Park has chosen to tackle it head-on, and the new records show that this decision is paying off.
Arguably the most impressive record that South Park has just set pertains to the young adult demographic. At a time when many young adults are embracing other media over television, this series has managed to capture their attention, and is doing it in a way that was never achieved in the previous 26 seasons.
For now, it feels as though the political satire of South Park is more relevant and more successful than that of any other ongoing show. The series has set a high bar in its first two episodes, and it will be intriguing to see if it can continue to break its own viewership records in future weeks.
South Park
8/10
- Release Date
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August 13, 1997
- Showrunner
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Trey Parker
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Karri Turner
Liane Cartman / Wendy Testaburger / Mrs. Crabtree (voice)
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Matt Stone
Kyle Broflovski / Kenny McCormick (voice)
