©Deadline - FOX/Warner Bros.All four animated comedy series will air through the 2028-29 broadcast season. The term isn’t arbitrary. It matches the length of the $1.5 billion extension Fox signed with Disney streamer Hulu in November, which also runs through 2029. It was that deal, which also includes streaming rights to Fox’s programming, that cleared the way for the network and Disney TV Studios to seal the blockbuster multi-series, multi-year pickup. (Hulu and sister company Disney+ are already the exclusive global streaming home to the combined library of all 2,000 episodes of the four series, with Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers and American Dad! on Hulu, and The Simpsons on Disney+ in the U.S.).
According to sources, the four new episodes will each be for 15 episodes per season. That’s down from the standard 22-episode order, but networks including Fox are increasingly favoring shorter episode counts for scheduling and financial reasons. The Simpsons, Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers have all aired fewer than 22 episodes per season in recent years.
By making 15 episodes — still considered a full season by current broadcast standards — Fox will free up space on its schedule for animated series like Krapopolis and Grimsburg, which the network monetizes by selling them internationally and leveraging their streaming libraries, something it currently does by licensing the two shows to Netflix.
Meanwhile, 20th TV Animation has kept the production levels of The Simpsons and Family Guy consistent by producing holiday specials for Hulu (Family Guy) and Disney+ (The Simpsons) to supplement their episode orders from Fox. Sources say that’s expected to continue with the new renewal.
To balance out the shorter seasons, the per-episode licensing fees for the three returning Fox series will remain the same. That’s unusual for long-running series that get more expensive over time, as networks often push for discounts.
The delay in announcing the four series, which were agreed upon in principle late last year, is largely due to 20th TV Animation having to negotiate deals with the casts and producers of each series. The process was interrupted by the devastating fires in Los Angeles, which affected the talent of several series. The last remaining deals with actors from The Simpsons are now being finalized, and the cast and showrunners of all four series are set to return for four additional seasons.
