Parents everywhere are feeling frazzled after learning that the future of “Sesame Street” is now in danger.
The long-running series will soon be without a home following news that HBO and Max has ended its deal to air new episodes of the children’s classic, which it acquired from PBS in 2015.
Though the show has been a cornerstone of youth programming since it debuted in 1969, HBO and Max’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, told the media the long-running series was no longer “core” to their business strategy in a statement on Friday.
The streaming services will continue to host old episodes from the “Sesame Street” catalog through 2027 and the current season of the show will be available to watch on Max next month, however.
Even still, parents and fans were distraught by the thought of “Sesame Street” going away.
Explaining to my three year old that Elmo has to go away because he wasn’t providing enough value to shareholders. My son turns to me and says “while I personally enjoy Sesame Street I understand that corporations must put their obligations to shareholders above consumer demands.”
Yes. It was intentional.Republicans defunded NPR and PBS, forcing PBS to privatize Sesame Street. Now HBO Max (WarnerBD, board chair Republican John C Malone; CEO Republican DavidZaslav) is ditching Sesame Street.
— Eric Blair (@protecttruth.bsky.social) 2024-12-16T05:48:41.867Z
Online, many wondered how to break the news to their Elmo-obsessed toddlers.
Others remembered how PBS was essentially forced to part ways with the educational mainstay, largely due to how cuts in public funding made the show too expensive for the free-to-air broadcaster to keep.
In 2019, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that it cost HBO a hefty $25 million to create a 35-episode season.
While many worried that Big Bird and friends will be now gone for good, there still could be a future for the folks who live on “Sesame Street.”
As a brand with generations of proven appeal, it’s very possible that HBO and Max competitors like Netflix, Apple TV+ and Prime Video will jump at the opportunity to snag the show.
See more reactions to the “Sesame Street” news right here:
Imagine being the person who cancels Sesame Street and just living your life after that
— Paul F. Tompkins (@pftompkins.bsky.social) 2024-12-16T08:58:29.419Z
there’s “evil” and then there’s “pulling the rug out from Sesame Street”
— shauna (@goldengateblond.bsky.social) 2024-12-14T00:27:11.718Z
Put it back on PBS. Sesame Street not being on public television anymore was an abomination to begin with.
— decking santa’s wide juicy halls 🎅🏾 (@reactionordinary.bsky.social) 2024-12-14T03:42:07.241Z
Seeing a lot of takes on the Sesame Street cancellation that forget how we got here. The show is expensive to produce, as these things go, and PBS could no longer afford its license fee. And in the streaming era, it had limited ways to pay for itself.www.vox.com/2015/8/13/91…
— Emily St. James (@emilystjams.bsky.social) 2024-12-16T17:02:14.258Z
sesame street isn’t supposed to make money. the post office isn’t supposed to make money. not everything is supposed to MAKE MONEY
— Kath Barbadoro (@kathbarbadoro.bsky.social) 2024-12-16T16:16:03.350Z
Keep thinking about how David Zaslav can’t figure out a way to make money off of superheroes, Bugs Bunny, and Sesame Street
— jesse (@jesseltaylor.bsky.social) 2024-12-14T16:33:40.327Z
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If y’all let Sesame Street go away, I’ll never forgive y’all.
— Mel Smith (@iammelsmith.bsky.social) 2024-12-16T02:40:12.077Z
