Will Netflix Bring Back Family Guy?

Will Netflix bring back Family Guy? Will one of the funniest cartoons make its way back to the streaming service? Why did it leave in the first place? Family Guy left Netflix last year along with other Fox titles. It has been sorely missed and many people I have spoken to about it want it back. So will Netflix bring back Family Guy?

It is unlikely Netflix will feature Family Guy again.

Apparently, last year, the contract between Fox and Netflix expired and the streaming service didn’t renew it. Most, if not all, Fox titles have left Netflix or are finishing their run before disappearing. Fox then went to Hulu but will be switching to Disney once that service launches as Fox is owned by Disney. Hulu is also owned by Disney but will remain an independent streaming service.

That said, if you live outside the US, the contract between Fox and Netflix is different so you may see other Fox titles, including Family Guy for a little while yet.

Netflix and Fox

Family Guy isn’t the only casualty, other favorites like The Following, Futurama, That 70s Show, White Collar and New Girl are all going or have gone from Netflix. This page has a full list of the Fox shows departing Netflix and includes many of our favorites.

Even though Family Guy is 20 years old, it manages to remain funny and entertaining. While similar in vein and humor to The Simpsons, it is its own show and manages to stay original and separate from the yellowest family. Episodes are still made now and the series is ongoing on Fox but they won’t be shown on Netflix.

We don’t know exactly what happened between Netflix and Fox but it might have something to do with Disney having bought Fox. As Disney is setting up its own streaming service to take on Netflix, the conflict of interest probably had some bearing on what happened. We have discussed this before with other Disney properties like Marvel shows. Disney owns those too and they have also left Netflix to move to Disney.

Where can you watch Family Guy now?

If you want to keep up with Family Guy, you’re going to need to access the Fox channel or Hulu. Until the Disney Plus service launches on November 12 this year, those are your main options. Other networks and cable channels may feature some shows too but they won’t be reappearing on Netflix despite a Change.org petition that amassed a whole 306 supporters.

Now TV also shows some Fox TV shows, including Family Guy in some regions. If you don’t have cable or Hulu, Now TV is another option, although it isn’t cheap.

Family Guy is still in production and is now on season 16 which is being shown on these channels.

Is this the end for Netflix?

Life used to be so simple. If you wanted to watch all your favorite TV shows, you got a cable subscription. When streaming arrived, you bought a Netflix and/or Hulu subscription. They all had most channels from most networks most of the time so you could have one subscription and access everything.

This single subscription which was cheaper than cable was the strength and main selling point of Netflix. With rival networks setting up their own streaming services, the market is changing. You will no longer have a single subscription that covers everything but will need several subscriptions and several apps to watch your favorite shows.

Disney Plus will show Disney films, ABC shows, 20th Century Fox, Marvel and Pixar films and Lucasfilm productions. Apple will be launching their own streaming service with exclusives from Sofia Coppola, Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Brie Larson, Damien Chazelle and Steven Spielberg. NBCUniversal is also setting up their own streaming service and is pulling content from elsewhere.

WarnerMedia is also withdrawing their content to their own upcoming service that includes HBO, DC Comics, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and a ton of other content. Facebook is wanting to get in on the action and even YouTube has begun making its own TV content.

What began as a single subscription is soon going to be an entire mess of subscriptions that takes us from a single $10 a month to $40-$50 a month depending on how many you need to watch the shows you want.

Netflix changed the game and was the service that we the viewer wanted to see. Corporate greed has changed that forever and the future is now uncertain for all streaming services. Streaming is still the future but what form will it take? Will Netflix survive with limited content and Netflix Originals? Will these other services fall by the wayside as we begin stream cutting as well as cord cutting?

What do you think? Tell us your thoughts below!