According to Deadline, Family Guy is set to make significant move to Comedy Central as part of a new adult animation block following a licensing deal between Paramount and Disney. Starting September 2, the iconic animated series created by Seth MacFarlane (Ted, American Dad, Sing) will join the ranks of other popular shows like South Park, Futurama and Beavis, and Butt-Head on the network.
As mentioned in the Deadline article, the agreement highlights a rare but noteworthy trend in the current entertainment landscape, where traditional network shows find new life on cable amid the streaming revolution. Despite the prevalence of streaming services, licensing deals for network content still hold value, as demonstrated by this move. While the deal is non-exclusive, prior seasons of Family Guy will continue to air on FX and FXX, with Hulu retaining exclusive streaming rights.
This development comes as Family Guy undergoes a shift in its original home network, Fox. For the first time in its two-decade history, the show will not be featured in Fox’s fall lineup, but instead, it will move to a midseason slot. Also mentioned by Deadline, alongside The Simpsons, Family Guy is entering the final season of its current two-season renewal on Fox. Hulu is also set to release two exclusive episodes later this year, starting with a Halloween special featuring Glen Powell (Twisters, Anyone But You, Top Gun: Maverick).
MacFarlane, the show’s creator and executive producer, recently expressed no intention of ending the series anytime soon. The Comedy Central debut will be marked by an all-day marathon on Labor Day, followed by its regular primetime slot starting September 3.
According to Deadline, the deal was facilitated by Barbara Zaneri, Chief Programming Acquisitions Officer at Paramount Global, in collaboration with Disney’s 20th Television Animation, the show’s production company. Laurel Weir, EVP and Head of Programming for Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks, welcomed the addition of Family Guy to Comedy Central, emphasizing the show’s cultural impact and fit within the network’s adult animation lineup.