YouTube has reached a new deal with Sesame Workshop, the non-profit group behind “Sesame Street,” which will see YouTube become the official home of the beloved kids TV show moving forward.
The deal is a major win for YouTube’s content ambitions, bringing one of the most recognizable and respected kids’ TV franchises to the app, which will also facilitate a range of expanded promotional opportunities.
As per YouTube:
“Beginning in January 2026, YouTube will have the largest digital library of Sesame Street content, with hundreds of full episodes coming to the platform. Alongside this collection of episodes, Sesame Street will continue to post content created especially for the YouTube audience, all featuring the iconic and lovable Muppets of Sesame Street.”
That’ll bring a huge audience of fans, young and old, to the app, which will make YouTube a bigger focus for marketers aiming to reach these viewers.
In addition to this, YouTube says that it will also be working with Sesame Workshop on a series of projects with other YouTube creators, in order to share key best practices on how to create content that’s both entertaining and educational.
Really, the deal seems like a logical progression for both YouTube and Sesame Street. YouTube is now the most-watched streaming video service in the U.S., while a growing number of people are also watching YouTube content on their home TV sets.
That makes it the best vehicle to tap into emerging consumption behaviors, which will give Sesame Street the best chance to maintain its connection with the next generation of viewers.
And they already know where to find the show in the app. In the past year, YouTube says, Sesame Street’s YouTube channels have generated more than 5 billion views, a 130% increase year-over-year.
The next generation of consumers have never known a world without YouTube as a primary platform for video consumption, and the trends would suggest that it’ll soon overtake traditional TV as the main video channel of choice.
As such, Big Bird and Co. are simply moving with the times.
