Despite all the good that services like Netflix and Hulu have done for TV shows like Arrested Development and Breaking Bad, a few popular series have remained absent from the major streaming services. Seminal sitcoms like Seinfeld and The Simpsons draw enough money from DVD sales and syndication deals that it's generally more lucrative not to stream them.

This changes in August for one show: the New York Times reported back in November that FXX, a new cable network owned by Fox, would receive the exclusive cable and streaming rights to the entire run of The Simpsons (woohoo!). The catch, as reported by Qz yesterday, is that the streaming app created exclusively for The Simpsons' library will only be available to some customers whose cable providers offer the FXX network, a list which includes AT&T U-verse, Cablevision, and Comcast, but reportedly excludes about half of all cable customers in the US (d'oh!). The FXX deal was valued at "close to $900 million," based on a cost of $1.5 or $1.6 million per episode.



For those who can use it, the streaming app will offer access to all 24 aired seasons of The Simpsons, including the first nine-or-so years that people actually remember fondly. The currently airing 25th season will be added in September, and the 26th season (!) that begins in the fall will probably come at some point afterward. The important takeaway here is that Simpsons fans who are also FXX subscribers will soon be able to stream the one where they jump Springfield Gorge, the one where Homer plays softball, the one with the monorail, the one where Sideshow Bob steps on the rakes, the one where Maggie shoots Mr. Burns, the one where Bart sells his soul, the one where Homer is the beer baron, the one with Ralph, and a whole bunch of other episodes whenever they want. At the very least, these episodes will give you something to do after your next BBBQ.