Sesame Street Finds New Streaming Home After HBO Max Exit

After months of stormy weather, it is once again a sunny, not so scary day on "Sesame Street." According to a just-issued press release, Netflix has signed a deal with Sesame Workshop that will make the streamer home to the long-running series' "reimagined" 56th season and 90 hours of previous episodes. There are other potentially lucrative aspects to this agreement for Netflix, but since the show's premiere in 1969, broadcasting/streaming "Sesame Street" has never been about turning a profit. It's about providing children with the gold standard of educational entertainment, a series that complements what kids learn at school while also reinforcing the importance of kindness, empathy, and curiosity.

I know what you're wondering: Yes, Cookie Monster has also issued his own, strikingly eloquent press release.

That "Sesame Street" was briefly without a streaming home continues to be inexplicable to many in the entertainment industry. But such is the cruel, deplorable nature of David Zaslav's Warner Bros. Discovery, which dumped the series from the streaming service that is once again becoming known as HBO Max due to a "strategic" programming shift (i.e. it was another penny-pinching move from the company's incompetent CEO Mr. Zaslav). Today's announcement is also raising eyebrows, as many industry observers expected Disney to swoop in and add "Sesame Street" to its children's entertainment empire.

We'll likely learn more in the coming days about the bidding process that ended with Netflix coming out on top, but for now, let's take a look at what Netflix's deal means for the "Sesame Street" brand.

Parents who can't afford to spring for Netflix will be thrilled to learn that new episodes of "Sesame Street" will once again be available on the same day and date as their streaming premiere (Max's deal gave them months of exclusivity to new episodes). Meanwhile, Netflix also has the rights to develop new video games for "Sesame Street" and "Sesame Street Mecha Builders."

As for how "Sesame Street" will be reimagined for its forthcoming 56th season (which will air later this year), well, Cookie Monster is going into business with a Cookie Cart. This seems like a dicey venture for the dough devourer if only because he's likely to snarf down his baked goods before they go to market. We'll just have to wait and see how this pans out for Cookie.

The denizens of Sesame Street will now speak directly to the viewers and encourage them to interact with whatever they're up to on the screen. There will also be an 11-minute story in every episode, as well as a new feature called "Tales from 123," which will give children the opportunity to hang out in the apartment where Cookie, Elmo, and all the others live. Perhaps they'll finally figure out a way to officially connect "It's a Wonderful Life" with "Sesame Street," too!

All in all, it'll be interesting to see what Netflix paid for the rights to "Sesame Street," but all that matters is that this essential show appears to be in good hands. Long may it stream.