It has been announced this week that the Simpsons will no longer be broadcast on Channel 4 from next year after having aired in the UK on the channel for two decades. The animated sitcom - created by Matt Groening - will move from its long-running weeknight slot on Channel 4 to E4, beginning with season 32 in January. It will mark the first time that it hasn't aired on the former channel since 2004.
Channel 4 has announced that its deal renewal with Disney Entertainment will bring new seasons of The Simpsons to homes in across UK and Ireland. Disney+ however will get the newest episodes of the beloved show first, premiering them exclusively, with E4 a few seasons behind.
As part of the deal renewal, the newest episodes, starting with season 36, will premiere exclusively on Disney+ from the spring of next year. They will later air on E4 and then become available on Channel 4's streaming platform. It has been announced that new seasons will be made available for a "limited time" on Channel 4's streaming platform as a boxset after airing on E4. Additionally, a selection of library episodes will also be available to stream.
Disney+ already has all previous seasons of the Simpsons available to stream on its platform. Subscribers also have access to the Simpsons Movie and the catalogue includes 10 shorts featuring the likes of Bart Simpson and Lisa Simpson. The news was announced by Channel 4 on Tuesday and Polly Scates, its head of acquisitions, shared delight over being able to continue bringing the show to its audience. Polly said: "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+.".
