South Park Renamed South America for Season 29 Premiere
The show's season opener featured a new theme song, a Donald Trump cameo, and an e-bike plotline.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Comedy Central
Photograph: Variety (embedded from source)
What this story says
- South Park was renamed South America for its 29th season, with creators citing political moves to rename places as inspiration.
- The season premiere featured a new theme song and a cameo appearance by Donald Trump.
- The episode's plot involved the main characters and e-bikes, leading parents to form a biker gang in opposition.
- Kenny died in the episode when his e-bike exploded, prompting the town to outlaw e-bikes.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 13 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 3 of the 16 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
42/100
Craft
61/100
Hype
41/100
16 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
None of the 13 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
The animated series South Park began its 29th season on 16 September 2026, with a name change to South America. Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone stated this change was inspired by political actions to rename places. The season premiere episode, titled "South American Biker Gangs," featured a new theme song with altered lyrics and a cameo appearance by Donald Trump.
The plot of the episode centered on the main characters and their new interest in e-bikes. When the children took their motorized bikes onto the streets, the parents of South America formed their own biker gang in protest. Kenny died in the episode when his e-bike exploded. This event led to the town uniting to outlaw e-bikes and begin selling "South America Strong" T-shirts.
The show had previously won an award at the 2026 Creative Arts Emmys. While celebrating this win, the show's official X account shared a graphic of Donald Trump. The creators had also shared a statement saying, "Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of ‘South Park’ to ‘South America.’"
Coverage disagreements
Reports differed on whether Donald Trump appeared in the episode. Variety stated that the premiere included a Donald Trump cameo. However, MSNBCTV NEWS reported that the plot stayed local and was Trump-free. Franktrades.com also stated there was no Trump in the episode.
Omissions
None of the left-rated or centre-rated reports mentioned the show winning an award at the 2026 Creative Arts Emmys. No right-rated outlet ran this story.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 3 times, most recently on 17 Sept 2026, 08:00, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
7 rated outlets
- Seven left-rated reports covered the South Park name change to South America. Variety, Ada Derana, The Independent, and The Independent (US) highlighted the Trump cameo. Variety and The Hollywood Reporter mentioned the show's win at the 2026 Creative Arts Emmys and a related graphic shared by the show. Variety also noted the creators' statement about the name change being a jab at political moves and mentioned previous political plot points from season 28. Polygon reported the show became the biggest sitcom on streaming after one episode. Deadline and Ada Derana mentioned the e-bike plot and Kenny's death.
Centre
6 rated outlets
- Six centre-rated reports focused on the South Park name change to South America. Mandatory, ComingSoon.net, and FandomWire highlighted a "naked" Donald Trump in the season premiere's intro. FandomWire and ComicBook.com mentioned the official name change and the altered theme song lyrics. Bleeding Cool News And Rumors previewed the episode "South American Biker Gangs." Forbes noted the season's more consistent release schedule.
Right
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated right has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover South Park Renamed South America for Season 29 Premiere?
- Of the 13 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 54% are rated left, 46% are rated centre, 0% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 16. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is South Park Renamed South America for Season 29 Premiere left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 13 rated outlets on this story, 54% are rated left, 46% are rated centre, 0% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of South Park Renamed South America for Season 29 Premiere biased?
- South Park Renamed South America for Season 29 Premiere is one event reported by 16 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting South Park Renamed South America for Season 29 Premiere?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered South Park Renamed South America for Season 29 Premiere?
- 16 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- Why was South Park renamed South America?
- The creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, renamed the show South America for its 29th season as a comedic jab at political moves to rename places. They stated the change was inspired by similar actions taken by companies and politicians.
- What happened in the South America season premiere?
- The season premiere, titled "South American Biker Gangs," featured a new theme song and a Donald Trump cameo. The plot involved the main characters and e-bikes, leading parents to form a biker gang. Kenny died when his e-bike exploded.
- Did Donald Trump appear in the South America episode?
- Reports differ on whether Donald Trump appeared in the episode. Variety stated he made a cameo, while MSNBCTV NEWS and Franktrades.com reported that the episode was Trump-free and focused locally.
Read it at the source
16 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
7- ‘South Park’ returns for Season 29 with ‘South America’ name change and Trump cameo (opens Ada Derana in a new tab)
Ada Derana — is Ada Derana biased? Our profile of this outlet
- ‘South Park’ Season 29 Premiere Embraces ‘South America’ Name Change With New Theme Song And a Trump Cameo (opens Variety in a new tab)
- South Park Review: Now Named South America Series Mocks Hard Without Trump (opens Deadline in a new tab)
- South Park fans are all in agreement after Season 29 premiere episode (opens The Independent (US) in a new tab)
The Independent (US) — is The Independent (US) biased? Our profile of this outlet
- South Park fans are all in agreement after Season 29 premiere episode (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- South Park’s New Season Is Officially the Biggest Sitcom on Streaming After Just 1 Episode (opens Polygon in a new tab)
- Welcome to ‘South America’: What ‘South Park’ Could Skewer in Season 29 (opens The Hollywood Reporter in a new tab)
The Hollywood Reporter — is The Hollywood Reporter biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
6- South Park's Viral Season 29 Intro Features Donald Trump 'Naked' (opens Mandatory in a new tab)
- South Park's Viral Season 29 Intro Features Donald Trump 'Naked' (opens ComingSoon.net in a new tab)
ComingSoon.net — is ComingSoon.net biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Real Reason South Park Officially Changed Its Opening Theme to 'South America' (opens FandomWire in a new tab)
FandomWire — is FandomWire biased? Our profile of this outlet
- South Park Returns Tonight with S29E01: "South American Biker Gangs" (opens Bleeding Cool News And Rumors in a new tab)
Bleeding Cool News And Rumors — is Bleeding Cool News And Rumors biased? Our profile of this outlet
- ‘South Park’ Season 29 Release Schedule Brings Consistency After Messy 2025 (opens Forbes in a new tab)
- South Park Makes Promising Change for Season 29 & It's Not Just Its New Name (opens ComicBook.com in a new tab)
ComicBook.com — is ComicBook.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Not rated
3- 'South Park' Prays Grand Theft Auto VI Saves America (opens evshift.com in a new tab)
evshift.com — is evshift.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- South Park Returns as South America as Plot Stays Local and Trump-Free (opens MSNBCTV NEWS in a new tab)
MSNBCTV NEWS — is MSNBCTV NEWS biased? Our profile of this outlet
- ‘South Park’ Back With Fellatio Shout Outs Galore, No Trump, Lots Of “Chinese Sh*tty E-Bikes” & ‘South America’ Re-Branding (opens franktrades.com in a new tab)
franktrades.com — is franktrades.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
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