Four years ago it was revealed that Sesame Street was partnering with HBO to produce new seasons exclusively for the premium cable network (with episodes available on PBS at a later date). Now, WarnerMedia has announced that the series will be moving exclusively to its upcoming HBO Max streaming service starting next year. Under the new agreement, first run episodes of the series will be available exclusively on HBO Max but the door remains open for episodes to later air on PBS though no specific time frame was revealed.
“Sesame Street is, and always has been, the gold standard for children’s programming, and we’re thrilled that Sesame Workshop chose HBO Max as its new partner,” said Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, WarnerMedia Entertainment and Direct-To-Consumer. “This brand is synonymous with quality and integrity, not to mention that nothing is more important than educating young new minds. This landmark deal perfectly illustrates the type of quality programming HBO Max will offer across every demographic.”
The 51st season of Sesame Street will premiere next year on HBO Max, but Warner Media has also ordered even more shows from Sesame Workshop incdluding:
· New annual Sesame Street specials, kicking off with The Monster at the End of This Show, an animated version of the acclaimed The Monster at the End of this Book
· A family-centric live-action take on a late-night talk show, The Not Too Late Show with Elmo – featuring Sesame Street’s celebrity friends
· A new season of the award-winning animated Esme & Roy, as well as the previous season
· Two new animated series, the first a spin-off of Sesame Street called Mecha Builders (working title), featuring favorite Sesame Street characters as heroes in a robot-animation style; and the second series to be announced at a later date
· A new docuseries that will explore key issues for kids and families, building off Sesame Workshop’s expertise in tackling difficult issues from a child’s perspective
A Sesame Street hub will also be available on HBO Max to help families and fans access all-things-Sesame on demand, including:
· Character-driven short-form collections so young viewers can easily access their favorite content
· A broad collection of Sesame Street episodes selected from the past 50 years – many available to the public on-demand for the first time ever
· The Sesame Street spinoff, The Furchester Hotel
The initial partnership is domestic only; Sesame Workshop and WarnerMedia will explore expanding globally as HBO Max grows. In addition, the two organizations will look for ways to expand the reach of Sesame Workshop’s social impact content as well as developing and distributing interactive educational experiences.
