‘Sesame Street’ Saved, Inks New Streaming Deal With Netflix

Netflix is stepping in to save Sesame Street.

The streaming giant has inked a deal with Sesame Workshop for new episodes of the long-running children’s show, just months after Warner Bros. Discovery opted not to renew its output deal for the program in a strategic shift at its streaming service Max (which will soon return to being HBO Max).

In a notable change from the HBO deal, new episodes of Sesame Street will also run day and date on PBS and the PBS Kids app, ensuring that they are easily accessible. Sesame Street has been available on PBS for more than 50 years, though during the HBO deal, the episodes debuted on PBS months after their HBO premieres.

“This unique public-private partnership will enable Sesame Workshop to bring our research-based curriculum to young children around the world with Netflix’s global reach, while ensuring children in communities across the U.S. continue to have free access on public television to the Sesame Street they love,” Sesame Workshop CEO Sherri Westin said in a statement.

“I strongly believe that our educational programming for children is one of the most important aspects of our service to the American people, and Sesame Street has been an integral part of that critical work for more than half a century,” added Paula Kerger, president and CEO of PBS. “We’re proud to continue our partnership in the pursuit of having a profound impact on the lives of children for years to come.”

The Netflix deal begins later this year with season 56 of the program. Season 56 will be reimagined, with the show dropping its magazine style format in favor of a longer segment, joined by a new animated element called Tales From 123. The new season will be released in three “batches,” Netflix says.

Sesame Workshop has been seeking a new home for the show since the HBO talks ended (some of the Sesame Street library will remain on HBO Max), and the nonprofit has faced a budget crunch, forcing layoffs earlier this year.

The deal with Netflix and PBS not only provides much needed financial stability for the non-profit (it is slated to host its annual fundraiser next week), but also provides expanded access to the program for free, an extremely unusual arrangement for Netflix.