Beloved cartoon sitcom "The Simpsons" premiered on FXX last month with a 552-episode marathon that broke all of the fledgling channel's ratings records.
The 12-day marathon dedicated entirely to the animated family helped catapult FXX near the top of the Nielsen cable ratings. In fact, on three nights of the 12-day marathon, FXX captured the biggest audience in the much-desired 18-to-49 demographic, the New York Times reports.
Further mind-blowing stats that cement "The Simpsons'" legacy and lasting appeal: Before the marathon began, the year-old FXX ranked 49th among all cable channels in the 18-to-45 demo; "The Simpsons" helped temporarily push FXX to 3rd on that list as fans binge-watched episodes they've probably seen dozens of times before. Even FXX execs were surprised, since the marathon helped boost the channel's ratings three times more than they anticipated.
Last year, Fox transformed their Fox Soccer Channel into FXX, which also boasts cult comedies like "The League" and "Archer" in its lineup. However, they should have just renamed their upstart network "The Simpsons' Channel," since the animated avalanche isn't ending any time soon.
Uproxx writes that FXX will show 24 hours of the series every week this fall, including six-hour blocks on Mondays and Fridays. So if you, like us, missed the "Mr. Sparkle" episode during the 12-day marathon — #69 on our list of the 150 best "Simpsons" episodes!— there will be plenty of chances to catch it again.
More From Rolling Stone:
- Save Me the Krust: 'The Simpsons' Likely Killing Off Krusty the Clown
- The 150 Best 'Simpsons' Episodes
- In Pics: 8 TV Shows You Should Be Watching Right Now
- The Best TV of 2014 So Far
- In Pics: The 40 Best Cult TV Comedies Ever
SEE ALSO: 'The Simpsons' Marathon's Top 5 Can't Miss Episodes: Day One