For fans of Homer, Bart and Marge, it’s always been a world colored by The Simpsons. In October, "Simpsons World" will be the digital home for the first 25 seasons of the acclaimed animated series and beyond.
FXX, which last November acquired the cable syndicated rights to the Emmy-winning series, will bow the ultimate Simpsons digital experience featuring enriched branded content through SimpsonsWorld.com and handheld/connected devices via FXNOW, the authenticated multinetwork, on-demand video service supporting FX, FXX and FXM. Through its deal with Twentieth Century Fox Television, FXX and FXNOW soon will become the respective exclusive cable network and non-linear homes for all seasons of The Simpsons, excluding those airing in their first run on Fox FXX will get subsequent campaigns of The Simpsons as new seasons begin their first run on Fox.
FX Networks announced the digital domain name at the Television Critics Association summer press tour in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Monday, July 21.
For the first time, all authenticated viewers will have instant and on-demand access to every single Simpsons episode ever, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via SimpsonsWorld.com, and FXNOW apps for iPhone, iPad, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Android phones and tablets, Smart TVs, and additional set-tops devices. Additional exclusive offerings include new ways to explore Springfield’s characters and locations, the ability for users to curate their own personalized playlists and share their favorite show clips and quotes.
“I think there’s been a lot of criticism of an ecosystem that’s struggling to evolve and adapt in the face of consumption change and this is an example of the fact that we really want to,” said FX Networks chief John Landgraf during the programmer's TCA panel. “We just have to figure out how to work out all of the technical and creative and business aspects of how to do that. But I think this is how people who love The Simpsons want to access it.”
At launch, about 60% of MPVDs are expected to offer the authenticated app, according to Chuck Saftler, FX Networks president of program strategy and COO. A complete rollout is expected in a little more than a year, he said. Non-authenticated subs only will have access to show clips.
FXX will launch its landmark acquisition via a record-breaking, late-summer marathon, encompassing 12 days. Starting on Aug. 21 at 10 a.m. and concluding at midnight on Sept. 1, FXX will air 552 Simpsons’ installments through the end of its first 25 seasons in chronological order. That skein only will be interrupted by the airing of The Simpsons Movie, following the series’ 400th episode.
Beginning Sept. 2, FXX will regularly schedule The Simpsons episodes in fringe, primetime and late-night dayparts on weekdays and weekends. Additionally, every Sunday the network will broadcast a thematic mini-marathon consisting of eight Simpsons episodes beginning at 4 p.m., leading into the 8 p.m.broadcast on Fox.
Through its deal with Twentieth Century Fox Television, FXX and FXNOW will become the exclusive cable network and non-linear homes for all seasons of The Simpsons, excluding those airing in their first run on Fox FXX will get subsequent campaigns of The Simpsons as new seasons begin their first run on Fox.
