Jody Serrano
Editor in chiefEditor in Chief at Xataka On. Before joining Webedia, I was a tech reporter at Gizmodo and The Messenger. While I've covered all sorts of things related to technology, I'm specialized in writing about social media, Internet culture, Twitch, and streamers.
After more than a decade, Sesame Street has a new home. Here’s a hint: It starts with the letter “N.”
This week, Netflix announced that it would be the new distributor of the children’s show, ending months of uncertainty over its future. The deal is not only a win for Netflix and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit that produces Sesame Street, but also for the public.
The new deal. In a press release, Netflix said that a new reimagined 56th season of the show would hit the platform later this year, along with 90 hours of past episodes. The move will allow the show to reach the platform’s more than 300 million subscribers, giving it a significant boost in reach.
HBO, Sesame Street’s previous distributor, only gave it access to roughly 122 million subscribers. The financial conditions of the deal between Netflix and Sesame Workshop were not disclosed.
Free for the public. While Netflix will become Sesame Street’s new distributor, episodes will still be broadcast on PBS. Importantly, the streaming company said that new episodes will premiere the same day on both the public broadcaster and Netflix.
This will be the first time in years that new episodes of the show air on PBS with a significant delay. Under the previous deal with HBO, PBS had to wait several months to broadcast new episodes after they had been released on streaming or cable.
PBS has broadcast Sesame Street since 1970.
Losing a lucrative distribution deal. The beloved children’s show had been under turmoil in recent months. In December, HBO announced that it would not renew its distribution deal for Sesame Street, which it had maintained for more than a decade. The deal was estimated to be worth $30 million and $35 million, according to The New York Times.
Previous episodes of the show will still be available on HBO under a separate $6 million per year deal.
HBO told the outlet that its decision on Sesame Street was based on a broader corporate shift away from children’s programming. Previous episodes of the show will still be available on HBO under a separate $6 million deal.
“Based on consumer usage and feedback, we’ve had to prioritize our focus on stories for adults and families,” an HBO spokesman told the Times in December. “And so new episodes from ‘Sesame Street,’ at this time, are not as core to our strategy.”
The Trump effect. Besides losing its distributor, the show also had to deal with heat from President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order to slash funding to PBS and NPR to spread what he claimed was “radical, woke propaganda disguised as news.”
The public broadcaster announced this week that it was furloughing 25% of PBS Kids staff after the Trump administration cut one of its grants.
A bet on children’s programming. Netflix’s move underscores its bet on children’s programming, which makes up 15% of its content. In addition to acquiring the distribution to Sesame Street, the streaming platform also announced a new Peppa Pig mobile game.
Images | Netflix
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