By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
‘How to get to Sesame Street’ is now an open question, as Max and HBO say they won’t renew their deal for new episodes of the legendary kid’s show.
Sesame Street, now in its 55th season, has been on the air long enough that the kids who watched the original episodes are now tuning in with their grandchildren. The series was a trail-blazer at the time, as a show dedicated not just to entertainment but to education.
The program, with its iconic Muppet characters like Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird, first debuted in 1969, and have run on PBS since 1970. Millions of children learned their ABCs with the cast of Sesame Street, but now, the D is for Distribution, as the treasured property is up for bids for a new deal.
In a story that broke originally in The Hollywood Reporter, the long-running children’s series is looking for a new home for its original episodes, after Warner Bros. Discovery opted not to renew the Sesame output deal with HBO and Max.
That doesn’t mean Sesame Street won’t be seen on those streamers, at least for a little while. Max is still licensing episodes from the existing Sesame Street library through 2027; it’s just not taking on any new episodes. As well, season 55 will be available on Max beginning in January 2025.
Max also says the decision against renewal wasn’t made because the show is unpopular, but because the streamer is changing its strategy, having decided to focus more on adult and family programming, with significantly less content for young children.
An unnamed spokesperson from Max told The Hollywood Reporter, “As we’ve launched Max though and based on consumer usage and feedback, we’ve had to prioritize our focus on stories for adults and families, and so new episodes from Sesame Street, at this time, are not as core to our strategy.”
That change in strategy has, in fact, will see several other shows leaving Max’s Cartoon Network by 2026, including titles like The Grim Adventure of Billy and Mandy; Ed, Edd, n Eddy; Teen Titans; The Looney Tunes Show; Static Shock; and DC’s Green Lantern animated series.
Hollywood Reporter also quoted a spokesperson from Sesame Workshop, who said they’re happy with the 2027 extension for their catalog, but are already working on a new distribution plan.
“We are excited to extend our 10-year partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery, keeping Sesame Street’s iconic library available on Max through 2027,” the source said. “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.”
Sesame Street was originally aired on PBS for many years until reaching a deal with HBO in 2016, which still allowed PBS to air episodes a few months after they would air on HBO. The last deal was signed in 2019, which moved the show to HBO Max and Max.
A new deal is probably not far away, given the enduring popularity of Sesame Street, not just in the US, but in the global market. The show remains very popular with children and parents, it has a very healthy licensing program, and with a massive catalog of episode, it may be the best-known children’s show of all time.
Top contenders would include streamers with global reach, like Disney+, Netflix, and Prime Video.
The news of the split with HBO and Max comes shortly after Sesame Workshop, the show’s rights holder, said they are working on a reboot or reimagination of the show for Season 56. That season will now be the first to air with a new distributor, assuming a Sesame Workshop does sign a new deal for 2026.
In an earlier interview with The Hollywood Reporter, executive VP and Chief of Creative Development Kay Wilson Stallings said Sesame Street will be revamped with longer segments that allow for more character development and more sophisticated stories.
“It’s going to give us an opportunity to dive further into the narrative,” said Wilson Stallings.