Sesame Street Finds New Home on Netflix After HBO Max

The journey to Sesame Street continues. The beloved children's series, which first premiered in 1969, will now be available for streaming on Netflix and PBS after HBO and Max concluded their long-term agreement with the show at the end of 2024.

New episodes will be released worldwide on Netflix, alongside the show's complete library of past seasons. Simultaneously, new installments will air on PBS stations and the PBS Kids platform on their premiere day. As Netflix expands its gaming initiatives—enabling subscribers to play directly through the app using their mobile devices as controllers—this partnership also grants the streamer rights to develop video games based on the series and its spin-off, Sesame Street Mecha Builders.

Sesame Street announced the new collaboration through its social media channels on May 19. "This unique public-private partnership with Netflix, PBS, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting allows Sesame Street to keep inspiring children everywhere to grow smarter, stronger, and kinder," stated the Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind the iconic program.

We are excited to announce that all new Sesame Street episodes are coming to @netflix worldwide along with library episodes, and new episodes will also release the same day on @PBS Stations and @PBSKIDS platforms in the US, preserving a 50+ year relationship.

The support of… pic.twitter.com/B76MxQzrpI

— Sesame Street (@sesamestreet) May 19, 2025

Season 56 will introduce several format updates. Each episode will feature an 11-minute core narrative, aligning with the character-driven storytelling seen in popular children's shows like Bluey. Fans can also look forward to the return of beloved segments, including Elmo's World and Cookie Monster's Foodie Truck.

Sesame Street debuted in November 1969 and joined the PBS network in the 1970s. The series quickly became a cultural touchstone. HBO and Max began their collaboration with the show in 2015, securing a $35 million agreement for new episodes.

That partnership concluded in late 2024 as the streaming service shifted its focus away from children's programming, which reportedly underperformed with subscribers. However, the Sesame Street library will remain accessible on HBO and Max through 2027—a modest extension of the original decade-long arrangement, though it no longer involves content production.