Sesame Street and Netflix have struck a deal that will see the popular TV show appear on the streaming platform, after US President Donald Trump pulled funding for the free-to-air channel Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).
Netflix said the iconic programme is a “beloved cornerstone of children’s media, enchanting young minds and nurturing a love of learning”.
Netflix will offer its 300 million subscribers a new season of the show and 90 hours of previous episodes, and it will still also be available on PBS.
Sesame Street was also facing an uncertain future after entertainment giant Warner Bros Discovery, which owns the HBO platform, did not renew its deal with the half a century old programme.
Earlier this month, Trump issued an executive order to block federal funding for PBS and the National Public Radio (NPR) network, alleging they engaged in “biased and partisan news coverage”.
The government body Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which backed the two broadcasters, has since announced the termination of a federal initiative which funded shows for children, including Sesame Street.
Under the deal, PBS will get access to Sesame Street episodes on the same day they are released on Netflix.
In the late 1960s, Sesame Street co-founders Lloyd Morrisett and Joan Ganz Cooney approached Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education with a novel way of teaching American children.
A team led by a developmental psychologist worked with the Sesame founders to analyse childhood psychology and produce entertaining lessons.
They worked with Muppets creator Jim Henson to create characters like Big Bird, with a set made to look like an urban street.
Since its first airing on 10 November 1969, millions of children have grown up with the show’s theme tune “Can you tell me how to get, how get to Sesame Street?”
Over the decades, the programme and its characters have gained a life beyond the small screen.
Popular character Elmo stepped into the public policy spotlight in 2002, when he was invited to discuss music education at Congress.
During a child obesity epidemic in the US in 2006, Sesame Street aired Health Habits segments designed to teach kids about diet and exercise.
The Cookie Monster declared cookies a “sometimes food” and taught children about a balanced diet.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama also visited Sesame’s studios to film a segment on healthy eating.
Netflix has been increasing its focus on children’s content, which accounts for 15% of viewing on its service.
It also announced on Tuesday that new episodes of Peppa Pig and a mobile game with puzzles and colouring activities would be coming to the platform.
The animated show is centred on the adventures of a four-year-old piglet called Peppa who lives with her family in a fictional British town.
