FXX Pays A Lot of D’oh! for Cable Rights to The Simpsons

In a record-breaking syndication deal, the channel snagged exclusive cable-rights to all 530 current episodes as well as future seasons

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Fox / AP

America’s favorite family has a new home. But don’t worry, the Simpsons aren’t leaving Springfield. They’re just heading to cable.

The cable rights to all 530 episodes (and future seasons) of the still-popular Fox show were recently secured by FXX—the sister channel of FX. Though financial details have not yet been announced, it’s said to be the biggest off-network deal ever. The animated show —  the longest-running comedy series in TV history — will start airing on FXX next August.

The deal will also give the soon-to-launch FXNOW mobile app exclusive streaming and on-demand rights to this massive trove of content. The Simpsons was previously only sold into broadcast syndication because TV stations were unsure about the viability of rerunning an animated show alongside live-action series.

Fox executives say that they’ve debated multiple options for monetizing the series beyond apparel and toys. At one point, that even included creating a TV channel entirely devoted to Homer and company.

Financial information about the deal is currently unavailable, but FX COO Chuck Saftler thinks it’ll be one of a kind. “There will never be another deal of this size because I don’t think there will be another property that will achieve this many episodes,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.

[The Hollywood Reporter]

[The New York Times]