Did HBO end its partnership with Sesame Street? Everything to know about the sensational deal
Sesame Street has been a favorite part of children's television for over five decades, captivating young audiences with its educational and entertaining content. It was announced on December 17, 2024, that HBO ended the partnership with Sesame Workshop, the show's non-profit producer. This means HBO will not air or sponsor new episodes of the children's educational program.
Sesame Street, an educational series, teaches children literacy, numeracy, and social skills through live-action, puppetry, and animation. In the show, Big Bird, Elmo, and Cookie Monster live in a colorful Muppet neighborhood with friendly humans. Storytelling, music, and interactive lessons make learning fun and accessible for preschoolers worldwide in each episode.
The show's 2015 partnership with HBO gave Sesame Workshop a huge cash infusion and increased production from 18 to 35 episodes per year. Under this agreement, PBS aired the episodes nine months after they first aired HBO's platforms.
The end of the Sesame Street HBO Partnership
A spokesperson for Max, formerly HBO Max, said the decision was made to prioritize adult and family stories. Max will no longer air new episodes of Sesame Street, but Sesame Street's library will stay on Max through 2027.
In an interview with NPR on December 17, 2024, Marilyn Agrelo, director of the Street Gang: How We Got To Sesame Street, expressed her deep disappointment over this partnership.
"You know, my reaction was deep disappointment. I am frustrated that Max is looking at this as just any children's program. They said it was not in the core of our strategy, and they're not seeing really what "Sesame Street" is. It is so much more than that," she said.
Social justice and educational equity are the goals, she mentioned. Max was criticized by Agrelo for viewing this educational series as just another children's show before realizing its social impact.
Sesame Street was criticized for restricting new episodes to premium cable and streaming subscribers under the HBO and Max deal. The show's original goal was to reach underprivileged children, so this exclusivity was considered counterproductive. Tim Winter, former Parents Television Council president, said the partnership prevented underprivileged families from accessing timely educational content.
In the same interview, Agrelo mentioned:
"We lose the purity of a message that is intended to help society, not just to make money. You know, this is the same thing that's happening in Hollywood, where independent films that have an important message are being sidelined for franchises and, you know, money-making blockbusters."
Sesame Street is looking for a new distribution partner. Sesame Workshop has worked with Apple TV+, Netflix, and Amazon, all of which could host the project. The company remains optimistic, promising to announce new distribution plans in the coming months and investing in its high-quality programming.
Fans and supporters remain hopeful that Sesame Street will find a new platform that honors its mission and continues to provide valuable learning experiences for children worldwide.
