2 days Ago
New Streaming Deal as Funding Remains Uncertain
Sesame Street has scored a huge deal with Netflix to keep its show viral on the streamer. It comes after US President Donald Trump pulled federal funding for PBS and NPR, for which he accused both networks of unfair reporting. The allocation reduction also spelled the end of a federal initiative that has helped to fund children's programming.
Netflix will also stream a new season of Sesame Street and 90 hours of old episodes to 300 million subscribers as part of the new deal later this year. Episodes will also appear on PBS the same day as their Netflix release.
The future of the show had been put into question when Warner Bros Discovery, home of HBO, declined to renew its existing agreement to fund the programme. Netflix said Sesame Street was a "trusted cornerstone of children's media."
A Legacy of Influence and Education
Sesame Street debuted on Nov. 10, 1969, a joint project of Lloyd Morrisett and Joan Ganz Cooney, who collaborated with Harvard University's Graduate School of Education to develop a new approach to children's learning: education through entertainment. The show famously collaborated with Jim Henson, the mind behind the Muppets, and introduced memorable characters like Big Bird, Elmo and Cookie Monster.
Long the program has covered weighty issues including education and public health and childhood obesity. The show's "Health Habits" segment in 2006 explained nutrition to kids, including the part where Cookie Monster referred to cookies as a "sometimes food." Former First Lady Michelle Obama has also been on the show to discuss healthy eating.
Sesame Street has long been a presence in American culture and policy debate. In 2002, Elmo was even called to testify before Congress about music education.
Netflix Bulks Up Its Kids' Offerings
The deal for Sesame Street fits with Netflix's increasing investment in children's programming, which now comprises 15 percent of viewing on the platform. On Tuesday Netflix also said new episodes of "Peppa Pig" and an interactive mobile game with puzzles and coloring activities.
Peppa Pig tracks the life of a four-year-old pig and her family in fictional British town and is one of the most popular cartoons for preschoolers.
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