TV institution The Simpsons has surpassed the phrase "culturally relevant." The show has managed to morph into culture itself, not merely predicting but commanding moments to take place in history. The show is simple, a nuclear family (Homer's job included) face themselves through the reflections and interactions of the quirky town of Springfield. As one of the longest-running television shows in history, the plethora of ideas, concepts and conversations have attracted viewers from nearly every generation since. The vast audience has supported the show so continually, that the brand The Simpsons is now valued at more than $12.33 billion. That's more than the net worth of Kanye West, Oprah Winfrey and Donald Trump combined. How’s that for cultural relevance?
So how did the family from their modest home on Evergreen Terrace find their way into a net worth that could acquire the Los Angeles Lakers, the Solomon Islands, and the Chicago Cubs all in one deal? A look inside the show's production budget, revenue, and franchise offer glimpses as to how the show has achieved its almost-unbelievable financial success. If you ask Marge, she might say it's the shows solid morals values and hidden activism behind the comedy. If you ask Lisa, she might tell you it's the repercussions of a culture that has devoured itself and has aligned their morals with animated programming, while Bart might shout something like Eat My Shorts! so Homer can yell D'OH! And the truth is, when combined together, maybe they're all a little bit right.
Cost Per Episode
Back in 2011, it was estimated that The Simpsons cost $5 million per episode. That's equivalent to the budget of one hour-long episode of Game of Thrones. The budget also included paychecks for the voice actors averaging $440,000 per episode. While that cost might seem extreme compared to other voice actors (Will Arnett made only $125,000 for his Emmy-nominated performance as Bojack Horseman), each voice actor on The Simpsons has portrayed multiple characters on the show.
Hank Azaria is one of the leading voice-over artists, so much so that he at times records his characters alone and abroad while the rest of the cast still meets in person to recreate the traditional style of a teleplay, feeding off of one anothers performances.
Azaria has voiced over 100 unique characters on the show but is recognized for his work as Chief Wiggum, Moe Szyslak, Comic Book Guy, Disco Stu, Bumblebee Man, Carl Carlson, Duffman, and Apu Nahasapeemapetilon from Season 1 until Season 29. He has won multiple Primetime Emmy awards for his work on the show and has also contributed to several of the franchises video games.
A close competitor for Azaria who also earned her highly-coveted salary on the series is Nancy Cartwright. She is best recognized as the voice of Bart Simpson but has also created the voices behind the iconic characters of Nelson Muntz, Ralph Wiggum, Todd Flanders, and the rarely-heard but always present Maggie Simpson. Fans might also recognize Cartwright for her work as Chuckie Finster on the animated program Rugrats.
Advertising & Additional Rights
An additional source of revenue for the series is advertising. As one of the most watched animated programs of all time, sponsors have to be willing to shell out some cash for a chance to get a commercial on the program. In 2018, it was estimated that it cost $162,725 to air a commercial during the programs primetime television spot, a similar value compared to ABC’s primetime series Modern Family (126,741). Even back in 2008, USA Today reported that the animated family brought in a total of $314 million a year in advertising, a figure that would make Monty Burns drool.
Much like the changes in culture the show predicts, or the trippy episode from Treehouse of Horror IV, the show has also created brands and products that have found their way into the real world. This has included Duff Beer, the Squishee, and the Simpsons donut that dedicated fans can get from Universal Studios. The show has also utilized product placement in creative ways. One of the most recognizable was a partnership with Lego that resulted in the iconic episode “Brick Like Me.” The episode took a reported 2 years to complete as all of the characters and locations were made out of Lego’s and were stop-motion animated with combined CG effects. The episode also resulted in a series of one-off Simpsons-inspired lego sets. The limited edition models are still selling on eBay for between $300-$400 dollars.
The Simpsons has also been able to secure a good source of profit through licensing their own show. FX reportedly paid a record-breaking sum to own syndication rights for the series. The network dropped $750 million to be able to screen reruns of the series. The show also benefited from the media merger that occurred when Disney acquired all of the 21st Century Fox’s assets ranging from the Alien franchise to The Simpsons. The deal resulted in a $73.1 billion dollar payout including exclusive streaming rights for The Simpsons on Disney+.
Fran-diddly-anchise
One thing The Simpsons has always been superior at is branding. They have ventured into several mediums beyond television including video games, feature films, and even an amusement park that brings fans from around the globe into the psychedelic world of Springfield.
The Simpsons released their first self-titled video game in March of 1991. It was an old-school arcade game released by Konami and done in the side-scrolling style. It was quickly followed by Bart vs. the Space Mutants which came out the following month. At-home video games for the Gameboy were eventually released in 1992 with the first few being Bart Simpson’s Escape from Camp Deadly and Bart vs. The Juggernauts.
By 2001, The Simpsons started releasing video games on the PlayStation platform, a move that would revolutionize the franchise. This partnership included some of the most popular video games to date including The Simpsons Wrestling, Road Rage, The Simpsons Skateboarding, and Hit & Run. Road Rage was one of the most successful in the group and earned a spot as the 25th highest-selling game from 2000-2006. The PlayStation 2 version sold over 1.6 million copies alone, making a reported $41 million in the United States.
In addition to video games, The Simpsons also expanded from TV to the big screen in 2007 with the release of The Simpsons Movie. The film had a reported budget of $75 million and still managed to gross over $536.4 million worldwide. It ended up being the eighth highest-grossing film of 2007. But all this was no easy feat. The script reportedly underwent over 100 revisions and took nearly three years to complete. Original concepts and pitches included expanding on popular thematic episodes like “Kamp Krusty” and “A Fish Called Selma”. At one point, the crew was also close to adapting a Troy McClure film, a live-action endeavor based on the action-packed hero and spokesperson for sell-out educational specials like Locker Room Towel Fights: The Blinding of Larry Driscoll, Shoplifters: BEWARE, and Two Minus Three Equals Negative Fun. Mentions of a follow-up film have been surrounding the cast and crew since early 2014. Eventually, director David Silverman announced that an official sequel was in development in 2017.
Fans can also visit Springfield themselves if they travel to Universal Studios in either Hollywood or Florida. The section of the parks features a real-world Moe’s Tavern and Kwik-E-Mart which sell a variety of products taken directly from the show including Flaming Moes and Duff Beer. In addition to restaurants and stores, the theme park also features its own ride that utilizes 3d technology to place audiences directly in the world of The Simpsons, riding alongside them on roller coasters gone awry. The land is also dressed up for the iconic Halloween Horror Nights, where spooky music from the series’ Treehouse of Horror specials play as visitors enjoy Simpson-sized donuts and Duff Draft.
The Simpsons has utilized its unique image and designs to become one of the most popular and profitable franchises to date. The series has a net worth valued at $12.33 billion which includes another movie in the works along with new video games for consoles and the iPhone. Past writers for the series have included Conan O'Brien, Judd Apatow, and Seth Rogen which means the show also has an eye for up-and-coming talent which helps with its longevity. The Simpsons is expected to grow in the forthcoming years, bringing forward new talent, new content, and new business opportunities. And for those anxious fans who think it's time may finally come, Variety reported that the series has been renewed for an additional 33 and 34 season, so don't have a cow man.
Sources:
WorkandMoney, StatisticBrain, WealthyGorilla, LATimes, Variety, HarmonTown, IMDb, BoxOfficeMojo, Heavy, MSN, SimpsonsWiki, WallStreetJournal, GiantBomb, ScreenRant