Sesame Workshop to Implement New Distribution Strategy as Warner Bros. Discovery Contract Expires
Sesame Workshop and Warner Bros. Discovery will be parting ways as the parent company of HBO and Max streaming service decides not to renew the contract for new episodes of Sesame Street. Since 2016, new episodes of the children’s program have been premiering on HBO and its sister streaming services. In 2020, the show made the move to Max, where its upcoming 55th season will begin streaming next month. Max plans to continue licensing episodes from the Sesame library through 2027.
The decision not to renew the contract was revealed by The Hollywood Reporter. Warner Bros. Discovery mentioned that the move was made based on a strategic shift to focus more on adult and family programming. It was also reported that other kids’ shows, including some from Cartoon Network, will be leaving Max next year as well.
Sesame Workshop expressed excitement about extending its 10-year partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery to keep Sesame Street’s content library available on Max for the next few years. They plan to continue investing in their high-quality programming and have hinted at forthcoming new distribution plans to make sure Sesame Street reaches as many children as possible for years to come.
As the partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery comes to an end, it’s uncertain what the future holds for Sesame Street. The show, which debuted in 1969 and aired on PBS in 1970, could potentially be picked up by other streaming platforms like Disney+, Apple TV+, Netflix, or Amazon Prime Video. Additionally, the back catalog of 4,700 episodes might be part of a new deal with a different company.
Despite criticism of Sesame Workshop’s deal with HBO for corporatizing the children’s series, it helped the production company financially by 2018. The format of Sesame Street was shortened from an hour to 30 minutes with its move to HBO, and the show underwent a visual transformation.
Sesame Workshop has teased that if a new partner is found, Sesame Street may evolve to incorporate elements from its animated series, Tales From 123. So, while there are changes on the horizon, the legacy of Sesame Street and its commitment to educating and entertaining children remains strong.
