The Simpsons’ Latest Major Change Points To A Divisive Future For The Show

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For a few years, new episodes of The Simpsons have been released directly on streaming platforms. However, a recent change suggests a potentially controversial direction for the show. The Simpsons is undeniably one of the most influential TV series ever created. Having aired for nearly 38 years, it now holds the record for the longest-running American sitcom, scripted prime-time show, and animated series in US television history.

Even though a second Simpsons Movie is coming next year, it doesn’t guarantee the show is doing incredibly well. While critics have been much more positive about The Simpsons since season 32, viewership hasn’t really increased. For years, each episode has averaged under a million viewers, and season 37, with 15 episodes, didn’t change this much – except for the popular annual Halloween special, Treehouse of Horror. Because of this, it seems more likely that The Simpsons might move to a streaming service in the future.

The Simpsons Could Become A Streaming Series In The Future

As a longtime Simpsons fan, I remember when Disney+ launched and the show made some fun little shorts to help promote it. But things really shifted with Season 36. For over 30 years, The Simpsons had a pretty consistent release schedule, but this season, they experimented with streaming exclusives. Instead of everything airing on TV, four of the 18 episodes – including the two-part Christmas special, “O C’mon All Ye Faithful,” “The Past and the Furious,” and “Yellow Planet” – premiered only on Disney+. It was a big change for a show that had stuck to the same formula for so long.

The season started with an extended premiere episode, but the rest of the new episodes were only available on Disney+. This pattern continued with season 37 of The Simpsons, where the first 15 episodes aired on Fox, and the final three were planned for release on Disney+ in late 2026. According to showrunner Matt Selman, who discussed this on the Four Finger Discount podcast, this split release schedule is likely to become even more common in the future.

The Recent Ratings Of The Simpsons Justify A Move To Streaming

Acknowledging that The Simpsons has been using less time for its iconic couch gags to fit everything into each episode, producer Al Jean expressed interest in including extra, exclusive couch gags in the extended versions available on streaming platforms. This, along with the show’s streaming specials, suggests that The Simpsons might eventually move to streaming as its primary home, which wouldn’t be surprising given the show’s consistently low ratings on traditional television.

Despite being a major asset for Disney, The Simpsons isn’t attracting huge audiences for each new episode. While the show has gotten better creatively since season 32, ratings haven’t significantly increased. Because of this, Disney might release more episodes on Disney+ instead of on regular television, and The Simpsons could eventually become a streaming-exclusive series without viewers realizing the change is happening.

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2026-04-23 23:41