Fox TV reaches deal with ‘Simpsons’ actors
A deal has been reached with the actors who provide voices for “The Simpsons” that will keep the animated hit show on the air through its 25th season in 2013-14.
The new agreement between the cast and 20th Century Fox Television, which produces the show for its sister Fox network, ends several days of tension between the two sides.
Although terms of the two-year contract were not disclosed, 20th Century Fox Television had been looking to cut the salaries of the actors by as much as 45%. Each primary cast member currently makes $440,000 per episode, and the studio wanted to reduce that to about $250,000, according to people close to the situation not authorized to talk publicly about the matter.
“The Simpsons” has been a staple of Fox’s prime-time lineup for more than two decades. Sales of reruns and DVDs, as well as numerous licensing deals, have made the program one of the most profitable in television history. News Corp. has pocketed more than $1 billion in profit from the show, according to analysts and company insiders.
However, the Fox network, which pays more than $5 million for each episode of “The Simpsons,” is losing money on the new episodes it airs, said two people with knowledge of the situation. Ratings for “The Simpsons” have fallen in the last few years while the cost to make the show has increased.
