Paramount CEO Praises ‘South Park’ Creators Amid Trump Criticism of Show

Paramount’s new CEO David Ellison says he considers “South Park” an important part of the company’s future — and not a problem, despite the show’s blistering satire of President Donald Trump.

Ellison told CNN he has been a longtime fan of creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, calling them “incredibly talented” and “equal opportunity offenders.” He highlighted the long-running Comedy Central hit as both profitable and strategically valuable, noting that Paramount’s recent five-year, $1.5 billion deal with the duo’s production company includes 50 new episodes and exclusive streaming rights to the show’s extensive back catalog on Paramount+.

“South Park,” which has mocked Trump in increasingly direct terms, remains one of Paramount’s most lucrative franchises. Ellison said he hadn’t yet seen the latest episode — which reportedly targeted Trump — and avoided directly addressing the show’s political content.

The comments come as questions swirl over whether Paramount under new leadership will maintain politically critical programming. Those concerns intensified with the recent cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” a prominent critic of Trump. Ellison said he wasn’t involved in that decision and attributed it to financial losses in late-night TV.

Paramount’s merger with Ellison’s Skydance Media was approved by the Trump administration shortly after the company settled a lawsuit from Trump against “60 Minutes.” Ellison said he was not involved in the settlement and emphasized that Paramount complies with all laws.

While “South Park” airs on cable and streams digitally — and is therefore not bound by the same FCC rules as broadcasters — Paramount’s ownership of CBS stations means it remains under some federal oversight. The FCC still has an open “news distortion” case involving “60 Minutes,” according to FCC Chair Brendan Carr.

Despite the political tension, Ellison is betting that “South Park” will help drive growth for Paramount+ while continuing its long history of satirizing public figures across the political spectrum.

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