The History of The Simpsons in Syndication

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For decades, The Simpsons did not air on cable television in the United States and was exclusive to local channels and many people wondered why. Despite the show originally premiering in 1989, it did not air on any cable network until 2014 due to restrictions in the original contracts with local stations and it stated that the show could not air on cable until the series ended.

The Simpsons was first made available for syndication on local channels only in 1993, and finally entered syndication in Fall of 1994. The parties at that time did not realize the show would go on for the rest of time, so they eventually shopped the show to cable networks in 2013. Adult Swim/TBS, USA Network, and WGN America (now NewsNation) were most interested in bidding, but the deal was ultimately made with FX Networks for a nice home field advantage.

In 2014, The Simpsons premiered on FXX and quickly became the most popular and successful acquired show on the channel, with the 12-day “Every Simpsons Ever” marathon being the grand introduction! Introducing The Simpsons to cable was one of the most successful business moves in the television landscape and they chose the perfect time to do so. Adult Swim wanted to get the rights to the show for years, but they never could…

Chapters:

• 0:00 - Intro
• 0:37 - Entering Syndication
• 1:36 - Shopped to Cable TV
• 2:35 - Formation of FXX
• 3:39 - Every Simpsons Ever Marathon
• 4:18 - Disney Buying FOX
• 4:46 - Freeform
• 5:28 - FXX Rebrand 2021
• 6:05 - Adult Swim Gave Up
• 6:41 - Conclusion
• 7:28 - Predictions from 2005
• 7:55 - Syndication in 2024
• 8:23 - Aspect Ratio
• 8:42 - Outro