HBO Cancels “Sesame Street,” Show Hits the Market

When cabler HBO first purchased the rights to iconic children’s programming staple “Sesame Street,” there was understandable concern. A show that had ALWAYS been free via local public broadcasting stations (PBS) suddenly paywalled? Think of the generations of kids who had the show to thank for teaching them things- counting, concepts like sharing, and imaginative songs and sequences.

Well, HBO has opted NOT TO RENEW the lauded series, effectively cancelling it. Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) owned streaming service MAX will continue to license library episodes through 2027, but are shifting back to more “adult” themed programming.

“It has been a wonderful, creative experience working with everyone at Sesame Street on the iconic children’s series and we are thrilled to be able to keep some of the library series on Max in the U.S.,” a MAX spokesperson told THR. “As we’ve launched MAX though and based on consumer usage and feedback, we’ve had to prioritize our focus on stories for adults and families, and so new episodes from ‘Sesame Street,’ at this time, are not as core to our strategy.”

“We are excited to extend our 10-year partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery, keeping ‘Sesame Street‘’s iconic library available on Max through 2027,” a spokesperson for Sesame Workshop said. “We will continue to invest in our best-in-class programming and look forward to announcing our new distribution plans in the coming months, ensuring that ‘Sesame Street‘ reaches as many children as possible for generations to come.”

The only good thing is this means Big Bird and the gang are available for another owner to jump in.