Even if you’ve somehow never seen a single episode of the show, virtually everyone knows the legendary children’s TV series, Sesame Street. Since originally airing on television in the autumn of 1969, Sesame Street has delighted countless generations of viewers for the past five decades.
With the hit TV series set to air its historic 56th season, Netflix has recently announced that they’ve obtained the streaming rights to Sesame Street, spelling out an exciting new development for the streaming platform’s younger users.
For the last five years, Sesame Street has formed a pivotal part of HBO Max’s digital library, continuing its close working relationship with HBO that was originally formed in 2016. Nearly a decade later, the iconic TV series has officially passed into the hands of Netflix, marking a major shift in programming for both Max and its streaming competitor in Netflix.
As part of the series’ new deal with Netflix, new episodes of Sesame Street will premiere on the streaming app in addition to being shown the same day on PBS’s broadcast stations and on PBS Kids. Not only that, but Netflix has also secured the rights to develop video game content centered around Sesame Street and the animated spin-off, Mecha Builders.
“The support of Netflix, PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting serve as a unique public-private partnership to enable Sesame Street to continue to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger and kinder,” Sesame Street said on their official X page.
“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,” Paula Kerger, president and CEO of PBS, said in an official statement coinciding with the new Netflix deal. “We’re proud to continue our partnership in the pursuit of having a profound impact on the lives of children for years to come.”