Netflix Picks Up Worldwide Streaming Rights for ‘Sesame Street’

The next season of “Sesame Street” is being brought to you by the big red letter “N.”

Netflix announced a deal Monday with Sesame Workshop, producer of the iconic kids’ show, giving the streamer exclusive worldwide premiere rights, starting with Season 56 later this year. Netflix also gains rights to 90 hours of past episodes of the show and will also be able to develop video games for both “Sesame Street” and “Sesame Street Mecha Builders.”

Netflix has been criticized for some of the shows it offers, especially those involving children. The controversial movie “Cuties” was accused of sexualizing young girls, and some parents might worry that Netflix, which promoted “Cuties,” may not be the best place for “Sesame Street”. Of course, Sesame Street has been getting more and more political over the past few years at HBO, so it may be a match.

See Also: Sesame Street Features Two Gay Dads for Pride Push

In the U.S., episodes of “Sesame Street” will continue to be available day-and-date on PBS stations and across PBS Kids digital platforms. Sesame Workshop’s deal with Netflix comes after Warner Bros. Discovery’s did not renew its five-year deal for “Sesame Street” streaming on HBO Max.

Related: Nothing ‘Cute’ About It: You Might Cancel Netflix After Seeing This

It’s not clear whether Netflix will do a better job with “Sesame Street” than HBO did, or only just as bad. “Sesame Street” will still be shown on PBS, which has been its home for many years. But some still worry that Netflix’s focus on making money might change the show in ways that parents don’t approve of.

***