When the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) was ordered to stop funding PBS, viewers wondered what would happen to beloved and valuable shows like Sesame Street. Thanks to a new partnership with Netflix, the show will live on with new episodes, hopefully for many more years.
For many children, Sesame Street is one of their earliest teachers. For more than half a century, the show has taught them lessons about friendship, kindness, emotions, and the alphabet. From Big Bird to Elmo to Bert and Ernie, the show has helped generations of children get through natural disasters, weather family crises, and understand learning differences.
Here’s how the new Netflix and Sesame Street partnership will work.
What Episodes Will Move To Netflix?
When Sesame Street partnered with HBO in 2015, longtime viewers were excited to see the revival of the classic episodes dating back to the show’s start in 1969. New episodes would air first on HBO, then later on PBS, and via the PBS Kids app.
Then last year, that partnership, which was criticized by some but did help keep the show funded, came to an end with the network saying that it was moving away from children’s programming.
Netflix and The Sesame Workshop have not officially announced which older episodes will be available on the streaming platform, but the announcement promises “90 hours of previous episodes.”
Some older episodes will also remain on MAX (now once again HBO Max) through 2027.
What’s Sesame Street’s Availability For Non-Netflix Subscribers?
Here’s one thing that parents can look forward to. Even if you can’t quite keep up a Netflix subscription, your kids can watch every new episode as it’s released.
That’s right—instead of making the new episodes exclusive to Netflix for months upon release, this deal has them releasing on PBS stations and the PBS Kids app on the same day.
The PBS Kids app is completely free, and pairs educational shows with games and educational activities, without a single ad, so this beautiful news adheres to Sesame Street’s mission “to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.”
What Can We Expect From The New Season?
Sesame Street’s format and focus have shifted with its audience over the years.
We’ve seen Elmo emerge as a more prominent character, and new segments have been added, changed, and swapped out, like Elmo The Musical, Big Bird’s Road Trip, and Abby’s Flying Fairy School. Characters have left (rest in peace, Mr. Hooper, we will always love and remember you), and new characters have been introduced, like Julia, the muppet who has introduced millions of children to the concept of autism and the idea that they can be friends with someone who learns and plays differently from them.
In the new season, a new format is announced:
“Episodes will now center on one 11-minute story, allowing for even more character-driven humor and heart.”
There has been no official date released yet for Sesame Street’s Netflix debut, but it’s promised for later this year.