Sesame Street is moving to a different address. Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit studio that has served muppetry to the masses for over 50 years, said yesterday that the iconic kids’ program will now stream on Netflix.
The newly inked distribution deal, which includes rights to video game development, represents a lifeline for the financially embattled show after its new episodes were dropped from HBO Max late last year:
- Sesame Street has streamed on HBO Max since 2015 through an arrangement that brought its creators up to $35 million a year, per the New York Times.
- The Netflix deal is reportedly less lucrative, but it will expand the show’s reach to an audience of 300 million subscribers.
What’s changing? New episodes will air on PBS stations and the PBS KIDS YouTube channel on the same day they appear on Netflix. Previously, they only made it to PBS months after debuting on HBO Max. And episodes will reportedly now put more emphasis on animated segments and character-driven humor.
Big Bird’s big move…from the Warner Bros. Discovery ecosystem to Netflix is emblematic of larger shifts at the two streaming companies. WBD has deprioritized kiddo content, as its signature series about mafiosos and media moguls aren’t exactly toddler magnets. Meanwhile, Netflix has increasingly catered to the youths, saying that kids and family programming account for 15% of its viewing.—SK