'Sesame Street' to upload hundreds of full episodes on YouTube starting January 2026
Hundreds of episodes of Sesame Street, the classic American educational children's television series, will be available on YouTube starting next year.
"Beginning in January 2026, YouTube will have the largest digital library of Sesame Street content, with hundreds of full episodes coming to the Sesame Street channels," the show's official Facebook page announced on Sept. 4.
"Join us as we help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder, one episode at a time," it added.
The move came months after streaming giant Netflix announced that it signed a deal with Sesame Street for an "all-new, reimagined 56th season — plus 90 hours of previous episodes — available to audiences worldwide."
The deal took place as Sesame Street's owner, Warner Bros. Discovery, opted not to produce new episodes, as its flagship streaming platform, Max, shifted its focus to adult and family content.
Sesame Street features animation, live actors, and puppets called Muppets. The show's characters teach preschool subjects with comedy, cartoons, games, and songs.
Beloved Muppets include Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monsters, Oscar the Grouch, Bert and Ernie, and Grover.
Sesame Street premiered in 1969 on the National Educational Television Network, which would soon be known as the Public Broadcasting Service.
New episodes of Sesame Street streamed on HBO in 2016, ahead of their release on PBS, even as it had a five-year deal with HBO Max in 2019.
Despite the deal's end, the children's show will still be available on HBO Max through 2027. The show's 55th season will be the last to stream through the platform.
