FOXSeries showrunner Al Jean told fans on Twitter the studio will release no more packaged seasons of the long-running animated sitcom as it shifts to digital.
The Simpsons, which debuted in 1990, is the longest-running scripted show in TV history.
But seasonal DVDs of the animated sitcom are being discontinued as Fox Home Entertainment instead shifts distribution of The Simpsons to digital platforms.
Series showrunner Al Jean on Wednesday told fans on his Twitter account that Fox Home Entertainment is ending production of DVDs for the series. "I personally am v sorry to see DVDs discontinued. We did them purely for the love of hearing ourselves talk," Jean tweeted to fans Wednesday.
A distribution source close to the series confirmed seasons of The Simpsons will no longer be released on DVD now that nearly every episode of the animated sitcom is available online at the touch of a button. "There's so much happening in the digital space, it made more sense to focus on that," the source said.
In the U.S. market, FXX has the cable, VOD and non-linear rights to The Simpsons, covering 24 seasons and 530 episodes. And FXNOW has the U.S. VOD rights, while the animated sitcom is syndicated around the world.
The Simpsons is produced by Gracie Films in association with 20th Century Fox Television, with Starz Media Co.'s Film Roman serving as the animation house. James L. Brooks, Matt Groening and Jean are executive producers.
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