Sesame Street moves from Max to Netflix with global streaming deal

Netflix has acquired the exclusive worldwide streaming rights to the iconic children’s series Sesame Street, following the conclusion of the show’s five-year run on HBO Max. The new partnership, announced on Monday, gives Netflix the premiere rights beginning with Season 56, set to launch later this year.

The streaming giant will also have access to 90 hours of past episodes and will develop video games based on Sesame Street and its spinoff Sesame Street Mecha Builders. Despite the shift, U.S. audiences will still be able to watch new episodes on PBS stations and PBS Kids digital platforms on the same day of release, maintaining a 50-plus-year collaboration between Sesame Workshop and PBS.

In a statement, Sesame Workshop celebrated the new deal as a unique public-private partnership involving Netflix, PBS, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The organization emphasized the ongoing mission of the show to help children grow “smarter, stronger, and kinder.”

Season 56 will feature a refreshed format, focusing each episode on a single 11-minute story, aiming to enhance character-driven storytelling and humor. A new animated segment titled Tales From 123 will explore the daily lives of beloved characters like Elmo and Cookie Monster within the whimsical apartment building at 123 Sesame Street.

Fan-favorite segments including Elmo’s World and Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck will return, alongside new additions like Cookie Monster’s Cookie Cart and Abby’s Fairy Garden.

Sal Perez and Kay Wilson Stallings return as executive producers, with Halcyon Person joining as head writer. Person previously served in similar roles for Netflix children’s series Karma’s World and Dee & Friends in Oz.

Netflix highlighted the importance of children’s programming, noting that family content accounts for 15% of its total viewing hours.