May 20, 2025
Netflix threw a life vest to the beloved kid’s series with a new streaming deal amid funding concerns.
Big Bird, Elmo, and all their buddies on Sesame Street are getting a new home on Netflix. The streamer will begin airing new episodes while the children’s show remains on PBS.
Netflix threw a life vest to the beloved kids’ series. New episodes will premiere on Netflix and PBS’ cable channel, as well as the accompanying app, PBS Kids. However, no exact date has been formally announced. According to the Associated Press, the streamer will also have past episodes within its worldwide platform.
Sesame Street had previously faced an uncertain future as Warner Bros. Discovery did not renew its deal in 2024, especially amid threats by the Trump administration on federal funding toward its parent company, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Fluctuation on where its production and funding would come from had troubled the children’s show that handled serious topics like adoption, racism, and homelessness.
“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 U.S. continue to have free access on public television to the ‘Sesame Street’ they love,” Sesame Workshop said in its press release.
Its expansion to Netflix will also come with some upgrades to the show’s format for its upcoming season 56. Old and young fans of the show will see longer season arcs that center on character development and lessons. Episodes will include an 11-minute story, alongside a revamped look to the show.
“The more kids want to hang out with our characters on ‘Sesame Street,’ the more they’re going to take in those lessons,” explained Sal Perez, the show’s executive producer and a Sesame Workshop vice president, to AP News.
The show will also expand its universe within the neighborhood. Viewers will even get a deeper look into the brownstone at 123 Sesame Street that houses some beloved characters.
The move will also boost Netflix’s already-expansive children’s programming. The streamer already has the popular Ms Rachel, Blippi, and Cocomelon characters with shows on its platform. However, with reports that family programming accounts for 15% of its total viewership, the investment in Sesame Street may make Netflix an even bigger player in this content sector.
PBS was proud to continue the thought-provoking children’s program within an evolving media landscape.
“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 Paula Kerger, president and CEO of PBS. “We’re proud to continue our partnership in the pursuit of having a profound impact on the lives of children for years to come.”
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