The "Rise of the Subscription Economy (Netflix, Spotify)" (Episode: "The Fool Monty", 2010)

The Simpsons has earned quite the reputation for seemingly predicting the future. It’s actually a bit of a meme at this point, with fans pointing out how many things in the real world appear to have been "predicted" by the show, sometimes years in advance. While some of these predictions are purely coincidental or the result of broad satire, others do seem oddly prescient.

The "Rise of the Subscription Economy (Netflix, Spotify)" (Episode: "The Fool Monty", 2010)

• What happened: The episode hints at the future of media consumption, where people would subscribe to services for music, video, and more, eliminating the need for physical copies.
• Reality: By the 2010s, the subscription-based model took over with platforms like Netflix, Spotify, Apple Music, and Disney+ offering streaming services. Consumers began shifting from owning physical media (DVDs, CDs, etc.) to subscribing to digital content.