It’s a sad time for collectors of The Simpsons on DVD as FOX and Al Jean have revealed that the series will no longer be released in that format. Unfortunately, it seems DVD releases are being discontinued with slumping sales to blame. It’s definitely the end of an era for The Simpsons fans, and for physical formats, fortunately you will still be able to purchase it on Blu-ray, as no announcement to axe that format has yet been made yet.
Jean explained that it was no longer viable to keep the DVDs going as the "market is dying," thanks, in part, to piracy. He did, however, explain that episode commentaries - for many, the primary reason to buy the boxsets in the first place - would still be recorded for FX.
For those who live outside the US and can't access FX or its Simpsons World app, the news is less than ideal. However, Jean has promised they will "keep pushing" to "get everything available to all." Despite this, the plan hasn't happened for 1 year.
We've reached out to Fox Home Entertainment to find out if the decision also pertains to Blu-ray (it seems likely it does).
The Complete First Season was released on DVD back in 2001. The seventeenth season was released on DVD in December 2014. Seams like Season 18 and Season 19 will not have a legal DVD release despite there already being a Season 20 DVD.