The White House has erupted in fury after a brutal skewering of US President Donald Trump by animated TV show South Park.

The premiere of the satirical show’s 27th season, which aired on Wednesday night (US time), showed Trump in bed with the devil – after he had literally bared all.

It came just hours after reports that Paramount had agreed to buy global streaming rights for South Park in a five-year deal worth $US1.5 billion ($A2.3 billion). Then, on Thursday, US federal regulators approved Paramount’s $8 billion merger with Skydance.

“The Left’s hypocrisy truly has no end — for years they have come after South Park for what they labeled as ‘offence’ [sic] content, but suddenly they are praising the show,” Trump White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers told Rolling Stone magazine on Thursday.

“Just like the creators of South Park, the Left has no authentic or original content, which is why their popularity continues to hit record lows. 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.”

The episode by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone centred on ending “wokeness”. It features a Trump character suing South Park residents after they protest about Jesus appearing in local schools.

“You guys saw what happened to CBS? Well, guess who owns CBS? Paramount. You really want to end up like Colbert? You guys got to stop being stupid,” Jesus says, before referencing the Trump character.

“He also has the power to sue and take bribes and he can do anything to anyone. It’s the f–king president, dude … South Park is over.”

The scene with Trump in bed with the devil harks back to the 1999 movie South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, which featured Satan in a relationship with Saddam Hussein.

“You remind me more and more of this other guy I used to date,” Satan tells Trump.

“Like, a lot. Like, you guys are exactly alike.”

Asked on Thursday for his reaction to the fracas at San Diego’s Comic-Con International on a panel that also included his South Park partner Matt Stone, Beavis and Butt-Head creator Mike Judge, and actor Andy Samberg, who co-created the animated Digman!, Parker was brief.

“We’re terribly sorry,” he said, followed by a long, deadpan-comic stare.

During the panel discussion, he revealed the creators got a note from their producers on the episode.

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

Trump, while famous for his social media sprays, is yet to respond publicly.

OK to Paramount-Skydance merger

The US Federal Communications Commission has ticked off on Paramount’s $8 billion merger with Skydance – despite critics linking it to a recent payout to Trump.

There has been months of turmoil revolving around Trump’s legal battle with the US version of 60 Minutes, the crown jewel of Paramount-owned broadcast network CBS.

He sued CBS over the handling of an interview with his Democratic Party opponent in last year’s presidential election, Kamala Harris. Trump accused 60 Minutes of deceptively editing the interview to favour Harris.

Earlier this month, with the spectre of the Trump administration potentially blocking its hard-fought deal with Skydance, Paramount agreed to pay a $US16 million ($A24 million) settlement to Trump.

It said the money would go to Trump’s future presidential library and to pay his legal fees, but maintained that it was not apologising or expressing regret for the story.

The settlement was criticised as a veiled bribe to appease Trump, amid rising alarm about editorial independence in the US.

There was further outrage after CBS said it was cancelling Stephen Colbert’s Late Show just days after the comedian sharply criticised the parent company’s settlement on air.

Paramount cited financial reasons, but big names both within and outside the company have questioned those motives.

In a statement accompanying the deal’s approval, FCC chairman Brendan Carr hailed it as an opportunity to bring more balance to “once-storied” CBS.

“Americans no longer trust the legacy national news media to report fully, accurately, and fairly. It is time for a change,” Carr said.

Skydance management has assured regulators that it will watch for any perceived biased at CBS News and hire an ombudsman to review complaints about fairness.

-with AAP