Why is South Park Season 27 delaying Episode 3 after a Trump controversy already pushed back Episode 2?

Comedy Central’s South Park Season 27 is now delaying the release of its third episode. After the Trump controversy, Season 27, Episode 2 was not released at its scheduled time, leaving fans waiting with bated breath for its release. Now, the scheduled date of Episode 3 has been pushed back, as the creators have taken another pause.

The second episode of South Park Season 27 was supposed to premiere on July 23, but amidst the backlash from the White House, it came out on August 6. A similar pattern of delay is seen with Episode 3, which was scheduled to stream yesterday, August 13, but has now been shifted to August 20. Although the one-week delay follows the same pattern, this time the reason for releasing the episode late is different.

August 13, 2025, sees South Park’s 28th birthday, and that’s exactly what drew the creators to take a pause. What started in 1997 is still a fan-favorite show that never takes a step back in depicting real-life issues and mocking them in a satirical manner.

The start of South Park season 27 has not been so good yet due to its controversial themes, but that's what the show’s standout feature is.

Reason behind the delay of South Park Season 27 Episode 3 

Following its 28th birthday, South Park Episode 3 is on hold. The release date for its third episode is on August 20, 2025, and is officially slated to premiere at 9 a.m. ET/PT. Instead of airing Episode 3, the cable network has declared August 13 as “South Park Day.” They will air some of the popular episodes starting at 9 a.m. ET, leading up to a broadcast of the very first episode, Cartman Gets an Anal Probe, at the usual 10 p.m. ET slot.

The special event will also include interviews with creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, behind-the-scenes footage, and rare clips. It’s being held to celebrate the anniversary of the show’s first episode in 1997.

So, the new episode is postponed again, but for a good reason this time, as it took fans on a nostalgic ride. The show’s 10 episodes will then continue to release weekly from August 20.  

All about the Trump controversy that South Park Season 27 faced

The clash between the White House and the animated series South Park Season 27 began when the very first episode saw bold visual jokes about Donald Trump. The episode unleashed a biting satire on him, mocking his legal actions, ads, and the $16 million settlement with Paramount. It also included a provocative AI-generated naked image of Trump lying in a bed with Satan. The episode broke viewership records, drawing nearly 6 million viewers across platforms in its first three days. 

In response, White House called out South Park’s episode to be a desperate attempt to seek attention, as per the reports by Mint. Taylor Roger (White House spokesperson) even criticized the episode and said,

"The left's hypocrisy truly has no end - for years, they have come after South Park for what they labeled as 'offensive' content, but suddenly they are praising the show. Just like the creators of South Park, the left has no authentic or original content. 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."

Where to watch South Park Season 27?

The episodes air on Comedy Central, and fans will also be able to watch the new episode on Paramount+. It will also stream live on services such as Philo, FuboTV, Sling TV, DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV. For those catching up, earlier seasons are available on HBO Max and Hulu.