The next era of “Sesame Street” streaming rights are here, with the beloved kids series heading to PBS Kids and Netflix.
New episodes of “Sesame Street” as well as library episodes will be available to watch on Netflix worldwide, and new episodes will also release the same day on both PBS stations and on PBS Kids. Also, as part of this deal, Netflix will also be able to develop video games for both “Sesame Street” and “Sesame Street 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,” the official “Sesame Street” account said in a statement on X.
“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 a statement to press. “We’re proud to continue our partnership in the pursuit of having a profound impact on the lives of children for years to come.”
There will also be some changes in Season 56. Episodes will now center on one 11-minute story, a more character-driven approach that mirrors other popular children’s shows like “Bluey.” This upcoming season will also see the return of favorite segments like Elmo’s World and Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck.
“Sesame Street” comes from the global nonprofit Sesame Workshop with Sal Perez and Kay Wilson Stallings serving as executive producers for the series. Emmy, Humanitas and NAACP Award nominee Halcyon Person (“Karma’s World,” “Dee & Friends in Oz”) joins Season 56 as head writer.
The news comes months after HBO and Max opted not to renew their deal, which saw new episodes head to HBO before airing on PBS. The deal had been in place since 2016, but came to an end in 2024 as part of a strategy shift for Max as the streamer focuses more on adult and family programming. The “Sesame Street” library, however, will still be available on HBO and Max through 2027.
“We are excited to extend our 10-year partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery, keeping ‘Sesame Street’s iconic library available on Max through 2027. We will continue to invest in our best-in-class programming and look forward to announcing our new distribution plans in the coming months, ensuring that ‘Sesame Street’ reaches as many children as possible for generations to come,” a representative for Sesame Street Workshop told TheWrap at the time.
As Max shifts away from kids programming, Netflix is only leaning into the genre. Currently, Kids and Family viewing represents 15% of Netflix’s total viewing. The streaming giant recently added “Ms. Rachel,” a toddler learning YouTube channel that currently has over 14.8 million subscribers, in late January, alongside “Blippi,” a live-action preschool series that drew with over 2 billion views in a single month on YouTube.
