HBO Max & Sesame Workshop Seal Content Partnership

Sesame Workshop is set to bring four new series and five new seasons of Sesame Street, annual specials, as well as its historic 50-year library, to HBO Max.

Starting in 2020 with season 51, Sesame Street will premiere on HBO Max and then continue to air for free on PBS KIDS. Newly commissioned HBO Max content will also be made available to PBS KIDS after premiering on HBO Max. HBO will continue to air Sesame Street through season 50.

The fresh content includes five new 35-episode seasons of Sesame Street, along with annual specials, beginning with The Monster at the End of This Show, an animated version of the acclaimed The Monster at the End of this Book. Also on the planner is a family-centric live-action take on a late-night talk show, The Not Too Late Show with Elmo, featuring Sesame Street’s celebrity friends.

A new season of the award-winning animated series Esme & Roy will join the previous season on HBO Max. Two new animated series are in the works, the first is a spin-off of Sesame Street called Mecha Builders (working title), featuring favorite Sesame Street characters as heroes in a robot-animation style, and the second series is to be announced at a later date. Also, there’s a new docuseries that will explore key issues for kids and families, building off Sesame Workshop’s expertise in tackling difficult issues from a child’s perspective.

The initial partnership is domestic only; Sesame Workshop and WarnerMedia will explore expanding globally as HBO Max grows.

“Sesame Street is, and always has been, the gold standard for children’s programming, and we’re thrilled that Sesame Workshop chose HBO Max as its new partner,” said Robert Greenblatt, chairman of WarnerMedia Entertainment and direct-to-consumer. “This brand is synonymous with quality and integrity, not to mention that nothing is more important than educating young new minds. This landmark deal perfectly illustrates the type of quality programming HBO Max will offer across every demographic.”

“The scope of our partnership with Sesame Workshop is unprecedented,” said Kevin Reilly, chief content officer for HBO Max and president of TBS, TNT, and truTV. “The beloved Sesame Street characters and these incredible new shows will be ambassadors for our service and the cornerstone of HBO Max’s extensive kids’ offering.”

“As we celebrate 50 years of Sesame Street and look to the future, we are thrilled to enter into this powerful partnership with HBO Max and their growing offering of best-in-class content,” said Steve Youngwood, Sesame Workshop’s president of media and education and COO. “Producing this broad slate will help us deliver on our mission to help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. We are also excited about partnering with WarnerMedia and AT&T as we seek ways to expand Sesame Workshop’s impact around the world.”

“Sesame Street is the longest-running and most impactful kids’ program in television history,” said Sandra Dewey, president of business operations and productions for HBO Max, TNT, TBS and truTV. “It is with great anticipation and pleasure that we join Sesame Workshop in carrying that storied legacy forward, both with the continuation of Sesame Street and also in partnership on a broad spectrum of new content projects and social impact initiatives.”