NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center:Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'

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The beloved children's program hits the auction block after Warner Bros. Discovery opted not to renew its deal with the show.

Max, HBO's streaming service, will continue to stream older episodes of the show until 2027, but the current season will be the last to premiere on the platform.

“We will continue to invest in our best-in-class programming and look forward to announcing our new distribution plans in the coming months, ensuring that Sesame Street reaches as many children as possible for generations to come,” Sesame Workshop, the non-profit behind the show, said in a statement.

After decades on PBS, the company struck a deal with HBO in 2015 to premiere new episodes, while continuing to air older repeats on PBS. The show later migrated to Max, HBO's streaming service. The expiration of that contract, which was amended in 2019, raises questions about the future of the franchise.

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The decision not to renew comes in part as Warner Bros. Discovery shifts away from children's content. "Based on consumer usage and feedback, we’ve had to prioritize our focus on stories for adults and families, and so new episodes from 'Sesame Street,' at this time, are not as core to our strategy," a Max spokesperson said in a statement.

"Sesame," which premiered on PBS in 1969, features a lovable if flawed cast of creatures residing in an urban neighborhood. The formula: a mashup of educational content, music, and celebrity cameos has made it a gold standard for children's television.

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Featuring subliminal messaging, "Sesame Street" imparts lessons of inclusion and teaches young viewers little by little the realities of the world they'll inherit.

"We still teach numbers and letters, but our primary focus is on the emotional and social development of the child," Vogel adds. "The audience sees themselves in these characters, and 'Sesame Street' can address these really important issues." Matt Vogel, who plays both Big Bird and Count von Count, previously told USA TODAY.

Reverend Jesse Jackson used the fictional block as a pulpit, Cynthia Erivo dueted with Kermit as part of the "Wicked" press tour and Michelle Obama was a frequent neighborhood visitor, plugging her ant-obesity initiative 'Let's Move.'

As the show enters its 55th season with some new characters and plenty of the old ones in tow, Sesame Workshop remains committed to maintaining the Muppets' cultural cache.

“We will continue to invest in our best-in-class programming and look forward to announcing our new distribution plans in the coming months, ensuring that ‘Sesame Street’ reaches as many children as possible for generations to come,” the nonprofit shared in a statement with Variety.

Contributing: Patrick Ryan

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