‘Sesame Street’ joins Netflix, with ‘character-focused’ segments for Elmo, Big Bird, pals
The streaming deal with Netflix, expands ‘Sesame Street’s’ global reach while retaining its PBS partnership for free access on US television
Netflix has thrown Sesame Street a safety net with a new streaming deal that offers the popular children’s staple a broad reach while keeping it on its long-standing home, PBS, at the same time, the companies announced on Monday.
Starting later this year, new episodes will run on Netflix, PBS and the PBS Kids app on the same day. No specific premiere date was immediately announced. Select past episodes will be available on Netflix worldwide.
The change for the more than 50-year-old show comes after Warner Bros. Discovery – which had aired the show since 2016 – last year decided not to renew its deal for new episodes that air on HBO and Max, though episodes will remain there until 2027.
“This unique public-private partnership will enable us to bring our research-based curriculum to young children around the world with Netflix’s global reach, while ensuring children in communities across the US continue to have free access on public television to the Sesame Street they love,” Sesame Workshop said in a press release.
Sal Perez, the show’s executive producer and a Sesame Workshop vice-president, told Associated Press recently that segments on the new season will be longer and “really focused on character”, while also focusing on its audience’s emotional well-being and development.
For Season 56, episodes will revolve around one 11-minute story, the Netflix release said.