‘South Park’ Just Rebranded Itself ‘South America’ Ahead of Its Season 29 Premiere, and the Trump Dig Is Not Subtle
Few shows have built a reputation quite like ‘South Park’ for turning real-world headlines into animated punchlines within days of the news breaking. After nearly three decades on the air, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have shown no sign of slowing that instinct down, and their latest move proves it once again.
The joke this time takes aim at a very specific trend in American politics: President Donald Trump’s recent push to rename major geographic landmarks. Trump signed an executive order in August renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America, following an earlier move in January 2025 that changed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, both changes that tech giants Apple and Google quietly adopted on their mapping platforms.
Parker and Stone decided to get in on the trend themselves, announcing that ‘South Park’ would officially rebrand as ‘South America’ for its twenty-ninth season, which premieres Wednesday, September 16 at 10 p.m. ET on Comedy Central. New episodes will stream on Paramount Plus the following day in the U.S., Canada and Australia, keeping the show’s usual release rhythm intact even as its name gets a satirical facelift.
Following their Emmy win for Outstanding Animated Program, South Park is making a big change. Creators Trey Parker & Matt Stone announce:
— South America (@SouthPark) September 8, 2026
“Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of South Park to SOUTH AMERICA. We especially want to… pic.twitter.com/nRkNaoUSVp
The creators didn’t hold back on who exactly the joke was aimed at in their official statement, saying, “We especially want to thank our parent company Paramount — a Skydance Capitulation.” That line doubles as a pointed jab at Paramount itself, layering corporate commentary on top of the political satire aimed at Trump’s renaming campaign.
When e-bikes arrive in South America, the boys take over the streets and the parents of South America can hardly recognize South America, in an all-new episode titled "South American Biker Gangs" premiering Wednesday, September 16 at 10p on Comedy Central. pic.twitter.com/WbMBdaShKf
— South America (@SouthPark) September 14, 2026
The rebrand isn’t just a one-off gag confined to the announcement. The season premiere, titled “South American Biker Gangs,” continues the joke directly into its plot, following the boys as e-bikes arrive in South America and take over the streets, leaving the town’s parents struggling to recognize the place they live in.
Season 29 is set to run six episodes, with new installments arriving every two weeks through a November 25 finale. The season follows a shortened five-episode run for Season 28, which wrapped in December, and continues the show’s momentum after winning its fifth Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program at the 2026 Creative Arts Emmys.
That victory adds to a growing list of recent honors for the series, including its inclusion as the first-ever animated honoree at the 2026 Television Academy Honors and recognition from the Producers Guild Awards, the American Film Institute, the Peabody Awards and the Critics’ Choice Association. The renaming news has also given the show a noticeable streaming bump, with ‘South Park’ climbing global charts in the days leading up to the premiere as fans caught wind of the joke.
With the show heading toward its thirtieth anniversary in 2027, this latest stunt fits neatly into a long history of ‘South Park’ using its platform to skewer whatever dominates the news cycle, corporate partners included.
What do you think of ‘South Park’ temporarily rebranding as ‘South America’?
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