Sesame Street Seeks New Home After Departing HBO and Max
Sesame Street, the iconic children’s show loved by generations, is on the lookout for a new platform to call home! After Warner Bros. Discovery decided not to renew its agreement with HBO and Max for new episodes, the show will be leaving the streaming service. Don’t worry, though! Existing episodes from the vast “Sesame Street” library will still be available on Max until 2027.
The Hollywood Reporter was the first to break the news, pointing out that Max is shifting its focus towards more adult and family-oriented content. A spokesperson for Max explained, “As we’ve launched Max, we had to prioritize our focus on stories for adults and families.”
“Sesame Street” has had a great run on Max for nearly a decade, following its move from HBO back in 2019. But the end of this chapter comes with some challenges. Cost-cutting measures at Warner Bros. Discovery resulted in the removal of hundreds of episodes from the “Sesame Street” library in 2022.
However, the Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind the show, remains hopeful. They will keep licensing episodes to Max until 2027 and are actively seeking new distribution partnerships to keep bringing “Sesame Street” to children worldwide.
With over 4,700 episodes and numerous awards under its belt, “Sesame Street” has left an indelible mark on American television history. Almost half of all preschoolers in the U.S. watch the show, and its lovable cast of Muppets – including Elmo, Big Bird, and Cookie Monster – are household names.
Over the years, “Sesame Street” has evolved to include longer, narrative-focused segments and introduce new characters, like the first autistic muppet and the first homeless muppet. Moving forward, the show plans to shake up its traditional format with more serialized storytelling and introduce an animated series called “Tales From 123.” It’s an exciting time for “Sesame Street” and its fans as it embarks on its next chapter!
