Did HBO Max remove South Park? The Trump controversy explained

South Park is no longer on HBO Max as of August 5, 2025. The entire library moved to Paramount+ under a new multiyear licensing arrangement. The timing overlapped with a high-profile dust-up over the Season 27 premiere, but reports indicate the platform shift was contractual, not a reaction to the episode.

The opener episode, Sermon on the ’Mount (aired July 23, 2025), was written and directed by Trey Parker and features the core voice cast (Trey Parker, Matt Stone, April Stewart, Mona Marshall) with executive producers Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Anne Garefino (among others).

The episode’s satire of Donald Trump, including a deepfake climax and a visual gag about his genitalia, prompted an official White House statement criticizing the show, while Parker offered a deadpan public response days later.

Meanwhile, South Park posted record ratings for a season opener, further fueling confusion about whether HBO Max “pulled” the show or simply lost the rights at renewal.

In short, South Park left HBO Max because its streaming license expired, and Paramount+ now holds the exclusive U.S. rights.

Why did HBO Max remove South Park?

South Park exited HBO Max on August 5, 2025, when Warner Bros. Discovery’s licensing window ended. Under a new deal, Paramount+ becomes the exclusive streaming home.

This closes a years-long period in which Max carried the TV seasons while Paramount handled event “specials,” a split that even sparked litigation in 2023. The current move aligns all seasons and new episodes under Paramount’s umbrella and is not tied to the Season 27 premiere’s content.

Inside the Trump flap: What the episode showed and who said what

The Season 27 premiere, Sermon on the ’Mount, depicts Trump in a series of provocative set-pieces (including a bed scene with Satan and a concluding desert deepfake), and folds in jabs at corporate media dynamics.

It aired July 23, 2025, and was written/directed by Trey Parker. Executive producers include Parker, Matt Stone, and Anne Garefino, with the main voice cast led by Parker and Stone.

The White House issued an on-record response to the premiere’s portrayal of Trump. As per The Guardian report dated July 25, 2025, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers stated:

“This show hasn’t been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention,… President Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than any other president in our country’s history – and no fourth-rate show can derail President Trump’s hot streak.”

Parker replied with characteristic brevity during a Comic-Con panel. As per The Guardian report dated July 25, 2025, Trey Parker said with a poker-faced stare:

“We’re terribly sorry.”

He also described a censoring notes back-and-forth on whether to blur certain visuals. As per The Guardian report, Parker added:

“They said, ‘OK, but we’re gonna blur the pen*s,’ and I said, ‘No you’re not gonna blur the pen*s.’”

Controversy notwithstanding, the premiere delivered the show’s biggest season-opener audience in decades - 5.9-6 million viewers across platforms in the first three days.

Where to watch South Park now?

For U.S. audiences, South Park (all seasons and Season 27) is on Paramount+. New episodes run on Comedy Central at 10 p.m. ET/PT each Wednesday, then arrive on Paramount+ the day after.

Current U.S. monthly prices: Paramount+ Essential (ad-supported) $7.99, Paramount+ Premium (with Showtime) $12.99. Availability and pricing can vary by region.

Did HBO Max remove specific South Park episodes?

No new content was selectively removed due to the Trump episode. The entire series left HBO Max because of the rights change. Separately, a small number of legacy episodes have been unavailable on various platforms for years due to prior content decisions, but that history is unrelated to the 2025 move.

Stay tuned for more updates.