“The Simpsons” Season 36 To Premiere On Disney+ In The UK
After decades of new episodes of “The Simpsons” debuting on Sky in the United Kingdom, it’s been announced that from season 36, the show will premiere exclusively on Disney+ from Spring 2025.
The long-running series is set in the town of Springfield and tells the story of the Simpson family. Homer is not a typical family man. A nuclear plant employee, he does his best to lead his family but often finds that they are leading him. The family includes loving, blue-haired matriarch Marge, troublemaking son Bart, overachieving daughter Lisa and baby Maggie. Other Springfield residents include the family’s religious neighbour, Ned Flanders, family physician Dr Hibbert, Moe, the bartender and police chief Clancy Wiggum.
It’s also been announced that Disney has renewed its deal with Channel 4 to bring the iconic series to its linear channels and free-to-air streaming service.
As part of the new deal, the UK’s favourite animated family, “The Simpsons,” are moving from their traditional weeknight slot on Channel 4 to E4, with season 32 of the animated comedy franchise airing on E4 beginning in January 2025.
The move comes as Channel 4 and Disney Entertainment announce a deal renewal, which will bring new seasons of “The Simpsons” to homes across the UK and Ireland. As part of the collaboration, the newest episodes of the hit series, starting with season 36, will premiere exclusively on Disney+ in the spring of next year prior to airing on E4 and becoming available on Channel 4’s streaming platform.
Disney+ will remain the exclusive streaming home of complete seasons 1 – 35, “The Simpsons Movie”, Christmas Special and 10 shorts featuring the Simpsons family. All these and more can be found in “The Simpsons” collection on Disney+.
As part of the latest deal, new seasons of “The Simpsons” will be made available on Channel 4’s streaming platform as a boxset for a limited time after they have their initial broadcast on E4. Alongside this, a selection of library episodes will also be available to stream.
Polly Scates, Head of Acquisitions at Channel 4, said in a statement:
“The Simpsons and Channel 4 have a historic relationship, and I’m delighted that we will continue to bring this much loved and iconic series to our audience. In an evolving market, collaboration has never felt more important, and it’s been a pleasure working with Disney Entertainment to bring the latest seasons to UK viewers, who can now watch the show on E4 and C4 Streaming once it has aired on Disney +.”
Dayna Donaldson, VP, of Content Sales (UK & Nordics) at The Walt Disney Company, also added:
“The Simpsons stands the test of time, and they continue to be one of the most beloved and well-known families in the world. We are delighted that Channel 4, along with Disney +, will be bringing these larger-than-life characters and the comedy of Springfield to UK audiences, introducing the series to the next generation and new audiences for years to come.”
Roger’s Take: This move from Sky to Disney+ has been a long time coming, since new seasons of the show have been premiering on Sky linear channels for decades. This brings Disney+ in the UK in line with many other countries like Canada and Australia, where the show premieres and providing more value to subscribers. This will also mean Disney+ subscribers in the UK won’t need to wait a year for new seasons to arrive on the streaming platform.
With over 700 episodes of “The Simpsons”, licensing some of the seasons to Channel 4 allows additional revenue, but also having a free-to-air partner keeps the show in the public’s mind while also giving Disney+ another major exclusive show, especially since the new episodes won’t be shown on Channel 4 for years.
What do you think of the move? Let me know on social media!
Roger Palmer
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