Fox is solidifying the future of its core animated comedies.
The broadcast network has handed out two season renewals for The Simpsons, Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers. All three of Fox’s long-running Sunday staples are now owned by Disney following the Mouse House’s $72.3 billion deal a few years ago that included assets including studio 20th Television.
Each of the animated favorites are fresh off other two season renewals that were up this current broadcast season. With the renewals, all three comedies will remain on the network through the 2024-25 broadcast cycle and The Simpsons’ 36th season, Family Guy’s 23rd and Bob’s Burgers’ 15th.
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“With this trio of renewals, we celebrate excellence in animation on Fox, our wonderful, longtime partnership with 20th Television and the brilliant creators and incredible voices behind these forever favorites,” said Fox scripted president Michael Thorn. “Three-plus decades of The Simpsons, more than two decades of Family Guy and over a decade of Bob’s Burgers proves the enduring power of the animation genre on our network and the infinite fan affinity for these outrageously funny comedy classics.”
While all three animated favorites are hallmarks of Fox’s Sunday night animation lineup, their renewals are no longer a slam dunk. As linear ratings (for nearly all scripted fare) continue to tumble, Fox worked out a reduced licensing fee for the shows a few years ago. When the trio was all owned in-house at Fox, they were considered loss leaders for the network and massive profit generators for its studio counterpart. Furthermore, should Disney ever opt to move any of the three shows to a different network or platform, it would allow the company to negotiate what could be a new billion-dollar broadcast, cable and streaming pact(s) forthe shows. With The Simpsons, that would mark the first time that would happen since the show launched back in 1989 — when Fox was an upstart fourth broadcast network and streaming was not in the vernacular.
“Across 750 episodes of The Simpsons, 400 episodes of Family Guy and 250 episodes of Bob’s Burgers, we couldn’t be more proud to continue delivering these three animated hits with the most brilliant teams in animation. Our relationship with Fox over the past three decades has allowed this trio of shows to thrive, grow and deliver immeasurable moments of hilarious and irreverent entertainment for fans, and we are absolutely thrilled that Fox is doubling down on each of these iconic shows,” said Marci Proietto, exec vp 20th Television Animation.
TheSimpsonslibrary is on Disney+; current season episodes are on Disney-owned Hulu with the platform also hosting full libraries of Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers. Animated shows traditionally take longer to produce and long-term renewals are increasingly common to afford them the time it takes to complete production. What’s more, animated fare is incredibly popular on streamers given that they repeat well and are also considered cash cows thanks to lucrative merchandising deals.
Outside of the Disney-owned trio, Fox has been making a concerted push to own more of its animated content. Since the network bought animation powerhouse Bento Box — which does the visuals for Bob’s Burgers — Fox has been aggressively ramping up originals. The network has already given early renewals for its upcoming series Grimsburg and Krapopolis. Meanwhile, the Fox-produced Housebroken is awaiting word on its third season at Fox after the series returned in December, while The Great North was already renewed for its fourth season. None of Fox’s live-action originals have been renewed for the 2023-24 season yet.
