Responding to that question, West noted, “‘Futurama’ is not family-based at all, [unlike ‘The Simpsons’].” There’s a crucial distinction between the two shows. There are two essential types of sitcoms; domestic comedy (the main cast being a nuclear family and their neighbors, teachers, etc.) and workplace comedy (following a group of coworkers’ interactions on the job). “The Simpsons” is the former and “Futurama” is the latter — even if it takes place in a 31st-century workplace.
Going off of West’s point, LaMarr said (and Tom agreed) that “The Simpsons” has innately wider appeal:
“I mean honestly, I think the answer to that question is no. Because I think ‘The Simpsons,’ being a family show, has a broader appeal. But I think ‘Futurama’, being a science fiction show, has a deeper appeal to a smaller crowd. I mean, we all know science fiction shows have, like, the most devoted fanbase. But I don’t think it would be as broad an appeal as a family show.”
In other words, “Futurama” and “The Simpsons” are aiming for different audiences, so there’s no need for them to compete. And yet, the potential audience for “The Simpsons” is larger than that of “Futurama,” so the spirit of competition reasserts itself.