What Is Corus 20th Television Animation? The Complete Guide to Two Animation Powerhouses
What Is Corus 20th Television Animation? The Complete Guide to Two Animation Powerhouses

You have typed “Corus 20th Television Animation” into Google, and the results smash two completely different companies into one blurry answer. Dig deeper and you find outdated forum posts, half-remembered channel schedules, and no clear picture of who actually makes The Simpsons. This guide clears the fog in one place. You will learn what each company does, how they connect through real licensing deals, and exactly where every hit animated sitcom airs in Canada right now.
Key Takeaways
- Corus 20th Television Animation is not one company. It combines Corus Entertainment, Canada’s biggest specialty broadcaster, with 20th Television Animation, Disney’s adult cartoon studio.
- The studio behind The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Bob’s Burgers belongs to The Walt Disney Company, not Corus.
- Corus connects to the studio through licensing: Global aired those hits for years, and Adult Swim Canada plus FXX Canada still run the reruns today.
- New episodes now land on Citytv and Disney+ in Canada, with next-day streaming.
What Is Corus 20th Television Animation? (Direct Answer)
Corus 20th Television Animation is a search phrase, not a business. It blends two separate companies: Corus Entertainment, the Toronto-based broadcaster that runs Global Television, YTV, Cartoon Network Canada, and Adult Swim Canada, and 20th Television Animation, the Burbank, California studio that produces The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, and American Dad! for The Walt Disney Company.
Why do people search for them together? Because their worlds genuinely overlap on Canadian screens. For decades, Corus channels delivered the studio’s cartoons to Canadian living rooms. Global carried The Simpsons for 29 straight seasons. Teletoon’s late-night block aired Family Guy starting in 2003. Today, Adult Swim Canada and FXX Canada, both Corus operations, run daily reruns of the studio’s biggest hits.
Think of this guide as your central reference point. By the final section, you will know who owns what, where every show streams, and why this mashup phrase confuses even hardcore animation fans.
Corus Entertainment at a Glance: Canada’s Broadcast Powerhouse
Corus Entertainment started in 1999 as a spinoff from Shaw Communications, and it grew into one of Canada’s largest media companies. Its headquarters sit in Toronto, and its shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol CJR.B. Doug Murphy leads the company as President and Chief Executive Officer.
The company operates in two big arenas: broadcasting and content production. Here is what sits inside the Corus portfolio today.
- Broadcast networks: Global Television, Global News, and dozens of radio stations including Q107 and Country 105.
- Kids and animation channels: YTV, Treehouse, Cartoon Network Canada, and Boomerang.
- Licensed brands: Disney Channel Canada, Adult Swim Canada, FXX Canada, National Geographic, and HISTORY, all operated under long-term licensing deals.
- Streaming: STACKTV, the multi-channel service available through Amazon Prime Video Channels.
- Production: Nelvana, the legendary Canadian animation studio Corus purchased in 2000, plus Corus Studios, its factual scripted arm.
Corus even dipped a toe into adult animation itself. In 2021 it greenlit Psi Cops, its first original series for Adult Swim Canada, which premiered in 2023.
Money tells a harder story. Corus closed five specialty channels on September 1, 2025, including Disney XD Canada and Disney Junior Canada, as advertising revenue slumped. The company kept Disney Channel Canada running and doubled down on its strongest brands. That squeeze explains why the Corus 20th Television Animation relationship keeps shifting, which we will map out below.
20th Television Animation: The Studio Behind Fox’s Biggest Cartoons
20th Television Animation is the American studio that makes prime-time animation for adults. It lives in Burbank, California, and operates as a unit of Disney Television Studios. Marci Proietto, a veteran who joined The Simpsons during its sixth season, has run the studio since its relaunch and now reports to Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich, who added creative oversight of the studio in March 2026.
The studio’s story has two chapters. Fox Television Animation built the empire, launching in 1999 under 20th Century Fox Television and churning out The Simpsons, King of the Hill, Family Guy, and Futurama. Then The Walt Disney Company bought most of 21st Century Fox in March 2019 for $71.3 billion, and on March 30, 2021, the unit relaunched as a standalone studio with its current name.
Do not confuse three similarly named Disney studios, because this trips up almost everyone.
- 20th Television Animation makes adult animated TV series like Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers.
- Disney Television Animation makes kids’ shows like Phineas and Ferb and Big City Greens.
- 20th Century Animation makes animated feature films, not TV series.
The record speaks for itself. The Simpsons passed its 800th episode in February 2026 and returns for season 38 on September 28, 2026. American Dad! came back to Fox on February 22, 2026 after eleven years on TBS. King of the Hill and Futurama both returned from cancellation as streaming revivals. In 2025, The Simpsons and Bob’s Burgers both earned Emmy nominations for Outstanding Animated Program, part of Disney’s 137 total nominations that year.
How Corus and 20th Television Animation Actually Connect
So what links a Canadian broadcaster to a California animation studio? Licensing money. Corus buys the Canadian rights to shows that 20th Television Animation produces, then airs them on its own channels. No ownership, no merger, just a long-running buyer relationship that has reshaped itself several times.
The history runs deep. Family Guy premiered in Canada on Global, Corus’s flagship network, on January 31, 1999, the same month it debuted on Fox. Teletoon’s late-night adult block picked up Family Guy reruns on September 1, 2003. Bob’s Burgers aired on Global from 2011 until 2015. The Simpsons called Global home for its first 29 seasons.
Then the economics flipped. Canadian networks earn the biggest ad dollars through simultaneous substitution, which lets them replace the American feed of a show with their own signal when both air at the same time. Global kept delaying its animated comedies to protect higher-rated CBS dramas, so viewers drifted to the American Fox feed or, later, streaming. Rogers’ Citytv grabbed Bob’s Burgers and Family Guy in fall 2015, then took The Simpsons in fall 2018.
Corus rebuilt its adult animation presence around cable instead. On April 1, 2019, the company launched a 24-hour Adult Swim Canada channel, and its own launch announcement listed Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, and American Dad among its acquisitions. In 2025, Adult Swim Canada and FXX Canada became the Canadian syndication homes for Family Guy. The Corus 20th Television Animation connection survives, just on different channels than a decade ago.
Corus 20th Television Animation Shows: The Complete Canadian Watchlist
The table below tracks every major 20th Television Animation series and where Canadians can find it in 2026. Note the final rows: three Fox hits that fans constantly misattribute to the studio.
| Show | US Network | Canadian Linear Home | Canadian Streaming | Status in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Simpsons | Fox | Citytv (Sundays) | Disney+ (next day + full library) | Season 38 premieres Sept 28, 2026 |
| Family Guy | Fox | Citytv and CHCH | Disney+ | Renewed through season 27 |
| Bob’s Burgers | Fox | Citytv and CHCH | Disney+ | Renewed through season 19 |
| American Dad! | Fox (returned Feb 22, 2026) | Citytv | Disney+ | Renewed through season 25 |
| King of the Hill (revival) | Hulu | None (streaming only) | Disney+ in Canada | Season 15 streamed in 2026 |
| Futurama | Hulu | None (streaming only) | Disney+ in Canada | Season 14 ran through 2026 |
| The Great North | Fox | Citytv | Disney+ | Ended in 2025 after 5 seasons |
| Solar Opposites | Hulu | None | Disney+ in Canada | Ended in 2025 after 5 seasons |
| Duncanville | Fox | Citytv (past seasons) | Disney+ | Ended in 2022 after 3 seasons |
| Krapopolis | Fox | Citytv | Citytv+ app | Different studio: Fox’s Bento Box |
| Grimsburg | Fox | Citytv | Citytv+ app | Different studio: Fox’s Bento Box |
| Universal Basic Guys | Fox | Citytv | Citytv+ app | Different studio: Bento Box with Sony |
Why does this Corus 20th Television Animation table matter to you? Because knowing the real studio behind a show tells you where it will stream after the season ends. Disney owns 20th Television Animation, so its catalog flows to Disney+ (through the Star brand in Canada) rather than Netflix or Prime Video.
Where to Watch Corus 20th Television Animation Content in Canada
Your viewing options depend on whether you want new episodes, classic reruns, or the full back catalog. Here is the complete breakdown for 2026.
- Citytv (live and Citytv+ app): New episodes of The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, and American Dad! air Sundays, mirroring Fox’s Animation Domination block.
- Disney+: The strongest single option. Canadians get next-day new episodes plus complete libraries of The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, American Dad!, King of the Hill, and Futurama, all included in the standard subscription through the Star brand.
- CHCH: Shares linear rights to Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers with Citytv, mainly for viewers in Ontario.
- Adult Swim Canada (Corus): Daily reruns of Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, and American Dad!, available on cable and live inside STACKTV.
- FXX Canada (Corus): Additional rerun rotation for Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers.
- Global (Corus): No longer carries new episodes, but it remains the historical home of this entire catalog.
A quick money-saving tip: STACKTV bundles Adult Swim Canada, FXX Canada, YTV, and Global into one Amazon Prime Video Channels subscription. Pair it with Disney+ and you cover nearly every Corus 20th Television Animation show on Canadian screens.
The Corus 20th Television Animation Timeline: 1999 to 2026
Two decades of deals, launches, and exits built the Canadian viewing map you follow today. This timeline captures every pivotal moment.
| Year | What Happened | Why It Mattered |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Corus Entertainment forms; Family Guy premieres on Global Jan 31 | Canada gets the Fox animated boom on a Corus network from day one |
| 2003 | Teletoon at Night starts airing Family Guy (Sept 1) | Adult animation finds a Canadian cable home |
| 2014 | Corus takes full ownership of Teletoon Canada for $233 million | Corus tightens its grip on Canadian animation TV |
| 2015 | Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers leave Global for Citytv | Simsub economics pull the first shows away |
| 2018 | The Simpsons moves to Citytv for season 30 | Corus loses its biggest animated hit after 29 seasons |
| 2019 | Disney buys 21st Century Fox for $71.3 billion; Adult Swim Canada launches April 1 with Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, and American Dad | Corus rebuilds its adult animation lineup on cable |
| 2021 | 20th Television Animation relaunches March 30 as a Disney studio under Marci Proietto | The studio gets its modern identity |
| 2021 | Disney+ Canada starts streaming new episodes (Star brand) | Streaming becomes the fastest way to watch |
| 2023 | Teletoon rebrands as Cartoon Network Canada (March 27) | Corus restructures its kids’ animation brands |
| 2025 | Fox renews The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Bob’s Burgers for four seasons each; American Dad! heads back to Fox | The studio’s core is locked in through 2029 |
| 2025 | Corus closes five channels including Disney XD and Disney Junior (Sept 1) | Corus shrinks to its strongest brands |
| 2026 | American Dad! returns to Fox Feb 22; The Simpsons hits season 38 | The Animation Domination block is whole again |
Notice the pattern? Every era of this broadcasting story follows the same arc: rights shift, fans chase the shows, and the studios keep producing.
Corus vs. 20th Television Animation: Key Differences Compared
Side by side, the two companies could not look more different. This comparison table settles the confusion for good.
| Category | Corus Entertainment | 20th Television Animation |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Canada | United States |
| Founded | 1999 | 1999 as Fox unit; standalone March 30, 2021 |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario | Burbank, California |
| Ownership | Publicly traded (TSX: CJR.B) | The Walt Disney Company |
| Business type | Broadcaster and media company | Television production studio |
| Core job | Airs and licenses channels and content | Creates and produces animated series |
| Signature brands | Global, YTV, Cartoon Network Canada, STACKTV, Nelvana | The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers |
| Leadership | Doug Murphy, President and CEO | Marci Proietto, studio head |
| Revenue source | Advertising, distribution fees, content sales | Production budgets and licensing from Disney |
Here is the simplest way to remember the split. 20th Television Animation makes the cartoons. Corus, among many other things, has spent twenty-five years putting those cartoons in front of Canadian viewers. One creates, the other distributes, and neither owns the other.
Why Adult Animation Still Dominates Sunday Nights
Prime-time animation keeps beating the odds that killed so many live-action comedies. The proof sits in Fox’s April 2025 decision to renew The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Bob’s Burgers for four additional seasons each, locking the lineup through the 2028-29 season.
Three factors drive that staying power. First, animated characters never age, so a show can run for decades without recasting or retooling. Second, animation budgets stay flatter than live-action, because writers’ rooms and voice casts cost less than film crews. Third, the fandoms compound: reruns on Adult Swim Canada, FXX Canada, and Disney+ keep recruiting new viewers years after a premiere.
Streaming strengthened the genre instead of killing it. Disney+ discovered that adult animation ranks among its most rewatched categories, which is why King of the Hill and Futurama came back from the dead as streaming exclusives. Corus saw the same signal in Canada, which is why a broadcaster built on kids’ channels bet on a 24-hour Adult Swim network in 2019.
Four Myths About Corus 20th Television Animation, Debunked
Half the confusion around this topic comes from myths that refuse to die. Let us kill the four biggest ones right now.
Myth 1: Corus owns 20th Television Animation. False. The Walt Disney Company owns the studio outright through Disney Television Studios. Corus has never held any stake in it. The two companies share licensing deals, not ownership documents.
Myth 2: The Simpsons still airs on Global. Not since 2018. Global carried the show for 29 seasons, but Citytv has held the Canadian broadcast rights since season 30. New episodes also stream next day on Disney+.
Myth 3: Krapopolis and Grimsburg come from 20th Television Animation. Nope. Both shows come from Fox Entertainment’s Bento Box Entertainment. Fans misread the “20th” connection because everything animated on Fox Sunday nights looks interchangeable in the credits.
Myth 4: Corus only broadcasts kids’ animation. Wrong. Beyond Teletoon’s late-night block history, Corus runs Adult Swim Canada and FXX Canada, two channels built substantially on adult animated reruns, and Psi Cops, its first original Adult Swim Canada series, premiered in 2023.
What’s Next: Renewals, Revivals, and Streaming Shifts
The next few years look busy on both sides of this broadcasting relationship.
At the studio, the slate is stacked. The Simpsons returns for season 38 on September 28, 2026, with the flagship renewed through season 40. American Dad! settles back into Fox through season 25. King of the Hill continues its Hulu revival, which Disney’s own editorial team spotlighted at D23 2026, and Futurama keeps rolling on Hulu, which means Canadian fans get both on Disney+.
At Corus, the strategy is leaner but focused. The company shut five channels in 2025, yet it protected Disney Channel Canada, Adult Swim Canada, and its animation core: YTV, Treehouse, Cartoon Network Canada, and Nelvana. STACKTV keeps growing as the cord-cutter bundle. Watch for Corus to lean harder on animated reruns, because they deliver reliable ratings at a price live-action cannot match.
One wildcard deserves your attention: contract expirations. The rights that send Family Guy to Citytv today could move again, exactly as they moved from Global in 2015. Bookmark this guide, because we update it every time a deal changes.
FAQs About Corus 20th Television Animation
What is Corus 20th Television Animation?
Corus 20th Television Animation is not a company. It is a phrase combining Corus Entertainment, the Canadian broadcaster behind Global and Adult Swim Canada, with 20th Television Animation, the Disney-owned studio behind The Simpsons and Family Guy. Corus licenses the studio’s shows for Canadian channels.
Does Corus Entertainment own The Simpsons?
No. The Walt Disney Company owns The Simpsons through its 2019 purchase of 21st Century Fox. Corus simply aired the show on Global for 29 seasons. Today, new episodes run on Citytv and Disney+ in Canada.
Where can I watch Family Guy in Canada?
Watch new episodes on Citytv or CHCH, or stream them the next day on Disney+. For reruns, tune to Adult Swim Canada or FXX Canada, both Corus channels, available on cable or through STACKTV.
Is 20th Television Animation the same as Disney Television Animation?
No. 20th Television Animation makes adult prime-time series like Bob’s Burgers and American Dad!. Disney Television Animation makes kids’ series like Big City Greens. Different studios, different audiences, same parent company.
Why did The Simpsons leave Global?
Money and scheduling. Global preferred to air higher-rated CBS dramas in simultaneous substitution slots, which pushed The Simpsons into earlier, less profitable timeslots. Citytv offered the Fox lineup in pattern, so the show moved there in fall 2018.
Is Teletoon still a channel?
Yes, but under a new name. Teletoon rebranded as Cartoon Network Canada on March 27, 2023, and its classic library now lives across Cartoon Network Canada, Boomerang, and YTV.
Your Next Step: Build Your Sunday Night Lineup
You now know what took most fans years of confused Googling to piece together. Corus Entertainment broadcasts; 20th Television Animation creates; Disney owns the catalog; and Canadians can catch every episode across Citytv, Disney+, Adult Swim Canada, and FXX Canada. The season 38 premiere of The Simpsons lands September 28, 2026, so you have a perfect reason to test this guide tonight.
Here is your action plan. Pick your platform from the watchlist table above. Stream one classic Simpsons episode to warm up. Then come back and tell us in the comments which 20th Television Animation show deserves the next four-season renewal. Share this guide with the friend who still swears The Simpsons airs on Global, and subscribe for updates the moment a Canadian rights deal shifts again.


