Netflix Secures Rights to Sesame Street Amid PBS Funding Crisis
Above: Big Bird of Sesame Street attends the 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 23, 2023. Image credit: Noam Galai/Contributor/WireImage via Getty Images
The Facts
- Streaming company Netflix has secured rights to air Sesame Street's 56th season and 90 hours of library content, marking a significant shift for the children's show after Warner Bros. Discovery ended its previous distribution agreement in December.
- This deal comes after Sesame Workshop faced financial challenges that led to staff layoffs and reduced funding. Earlier this year, it lost its HBO contract worth approximately $30-35 million annually, and then the Trump administration cut federal funding for PBS, the broadcaster that has always aired Sesame Street.
- The new partnership ensures simultaneous release of new episodes on both Netflix and PBS stations, ending the previous nine-month delay for public television viewers that existed under the HBO deal.
Sources Split
LEFT
CENTER
RIGHT
+1
ESTAB
CRIT
CENTERPRO
ESTAB
The Spin
Narrative A
This is great news for lovers of Sesame Street and for kids everywhere who need to learn how to read and count, as well as gain some comfort from the show's characters in a turbulent world. Sesame Street will be less reliant on the whims of the government, while it should benefit from Netflix's worldwide reach.
Narrative B
Lest anyone think Netflix's decision to partner with Sesame Workshop is a truly altruistic act, the company will be receiving a major PR boost from this move. This deal turns recent perceptions of Netflix as too focused on profits on its ear, while the addition of Sesame Street could lead to more subscribers.
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 7.18.2
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 7.18.2