After a few months in limbo, the folks at “Sesame Street” have a new streaming platform to call home.
Netflix announced on Monday it has snagged the worldwide streaming distribution rights to the popular children’s educational program, which will move from its current home at Max (soon to be renamed HBO Max) after parent company Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) opted not to renew the rights to the show.
As part of the deal, Netflix will stream new episodes of Sesame Street and make the show’s back catalog available on its streaming platform in the U.S. and around the world. New episodes of the show will also be available on PBS member stations and the PBS Kids digital channel; previously, new episodes were made available exclusively on Max, then delayed on PBS by several months.
“We 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,” a spokesperson for Sesame Workshop, the company that produces Sesame Street, 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,” said PBS CEO and President Paula Kerger on Monday. “We’re proud to continue our partnership in the pursuit of having a profound impact on the lives of children for years to come.”
In addition to new episodes, Netflix will also have the right to develop other types of programming and content around Sesame Street, including games. PBS Kids will also have the rights to stream clips from Sesame Street on its YouTube channel for free, and all sides will work together to develop new educational materials for parents and educators through the PBS Kids for Parents and PBS Learning Media portals.
“This announcement continues to build on PBS’ and Sesame Workshop’s more than 50-year history of bringing critical early learning opportunities to families nationwide,” said Sara DeWitt, Senior Vice President and General Manager, PBS Kids. “Public media is essential, and we know from years of research that providing new, high-quality content to children across the country for free helps prepare them for success in school and life.”
