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Twenty four years after its premiere, The Simpsons is finally going to get an off-network syndication sale on cable. Twentieth Television, the syndication arm of 20th Century Fox TV, is preparing to take out the monster property to cable networks. The plan, first reported by TVGuide, would allow the longest-running entertainment series currently on TV for the first time to air simultaneously in cable and broadcast syndication. When The Simpsons, a rare broadcast animated series, was sold in broadcast syndication in 1993 as cable TV was still in its infancy, the stations that bought it were in position to secure exclusivity while the show was on Fox’s air. Other series with similar deals are long gone, but The Simpsons has kept going, periodically raising the issue of lost revenue from a potential cable sale in a time where a combo broadcast and cable off-network sales is the norm. I hear Twentieth TV’s pacts with broadcast stations have been gradually tweaked over the years to allow the carving out of a cable window that will not impact the broadcast syndie run. A cable sale, which could fetch as much as $1 billion for the 530 episodes and counting, also won’t have an impact on Fox’s future plans for The Simpsons, which can continue on the network while airing in broadcast and cable off-network syndication. The plan to take The Simpsons out to cable networks comes on the heels of Twentieth Television’s division selling 20th Century Fox TV shows off-network getting put under 20th TV chairmen Dana Walden and Gary Newman. All main cable networks that air animation — including TBS, Adult Swim and FX — are expected to look at The Simpsons, which News Corp COO Chase Carey once envisioned of getting its own cable channel. It now could be a cornerstone for another new News Corp cable channel, the upcoming FXX.
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Netflix, please take this.
Woo-Hoo!
I’d have suggested crowd-funding a new Simpsons-only cable channel altogether. They could even do PBS-style pledge drives, with callers maybe landing one of the cast to take down their donations. heh heh heh.
So, is the show ending?
Harry Shearer was right to keep urging the voice talent to hold out for the best deals possible every season.
This times 10. The profits on this show are insane.
So what, they’d start the series over every 11 days? You can’t have a whole channel dedicated to one show
I would watch that.
I like the idea. It could be an all Simpsons, and Simpsons writers network. A breeding ground for all of the great writers for that show to make new shows.
That should have been the Fox network.
It’s already been done. Down in Australia (Murdoch’s homeland), there’s a Fox channel that is indeed all-SIMPSONS, though they occasionally toss in a KING OF THE HILL or FUTURAMA just for a little variety.
You totally could run this ad nauseum. Special programming blocks for the DVD commentaries, etc. Over and over and over.
“in 1993 as cable TV was still in its infancy”
lololololol
You said it. I blew Dr. Pepper out my nose and onto my keyboard when I read that.
Didn’t your infancy last 10-15 years?
Hopefully this means, they’ll also put it on Netflix, like the other FOX sitcoms.
People said next season is likely its last but the Simpsons/family guy crossover is fall14 which likely means another season to come.
Love the first few ears of The Simpson but a WHOLE channel? Howard Stern is on the air two, maybe three days, during the week and they run crap on his channels to fill it. It should play on TBS like Family Guy and American Dad and Seinfeld. All hilarious shows.
…the Fox Network?
Cable was in its “infancy” in 1993?
It’s good to know that this show is finally going to make some money
The show got old after he 3rd year. I know I am in a minority here but the show would of generated my interest had they aged the kids a little. Come on it the same old same old. It would be nice to see “Bart and Lisa” in High school for the next 20 years. Maggie could be in 1st grade for 10 years.