South Park Makes History as First Animated Honoree at Television Academy Honors

Comedy Central is celebrating the 29th anniversary of South Park with a 24-hour marathon on Thursday, August 13, 2026, according to reporting by USA TODAY. The all-day television event begins at 6 a.m. ET/PT and runs back-to-back episodes until 6 a.m. ET/PT on Friday, August 14, 2026, marking South Park Day in honor of the series’ 1997 premiere.

Comedy Central Marathon Details and Schedule

The 48-episode marathon features fan-favorite installments from the long-running adult animated franchise, as reported by USA TODAY. Among the scheduled broadcasts is Sermon on the ‘Mount, the premiere episode of the 27th season, which originally aired in the summer and earned the series an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Animated Series, according to Comedy Central details cited by USA TODAY.

Additional Emmy-nominated work featured in the wider cultural footprint of the show includes the song Christian Woman from The Crap Out episode—nominated for outstanding music and lyrics—alongside Trey Parker’s nomination for outstanding character voice-over performance as Satan in the same episode. For viewers unable to catch the linear broadcast, USA TODAY notes that the complete South Park library remains available to stream on Paramount+.

Season 29 Premiere Date and Fall Release Calendar

Following the anniversary marathon, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone will debut Season 29 of South Park on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Comedy Central, according to Bubbleblabber. Subsequent new episodes will air on a bi-weekly Wednesday schedule throughout the fall.

According to the release schedule reported by Bubbleblabber, the Season 29 rollout includes:

Episode 1: Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Episode 2: Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Episode 3: Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Episode 4: Wednesday, October 28, 2026

Episode 5: Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Episode 6: Wednesday, November 25, 2026

New episodes will stream globally on Paramount+, offering next-day availability for subscribers in the United States, Canada, and Australia, as detailed by Bubbleblabber.

Historic Industry Honors and Ratings Dominance

The upcoming season arrives on the heels of major industry milestones for the franchise. In 2026, South Park was included in the Television Academy Honors as their first ever animated honoree, and became the first animated series nominated by the Producers Guild of America (PGA) in the Best Episodic Comedy category, as noted by Bubbleblabber.

Bubbleblabber reports that the series held its position as the number-one show on cable in 2025 among Adults 18–49. The show’s 27th season delivered its highest average P18-49 share in 27 years and its most-watched season in six years, reinforcing the adult animation’s enduring ratings strength as it approaches its 30th anniversary in 2027.