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Season 56 of Sesame Street will premiere in just a few days. Although it will be the children’s show’s 56th season, it is actually a brand-new world for the series that is largely credited with teaching entire generations of children their ABCs. For the first time ever, Netflix will be at the helm, in partnership with Sesame Workshop. The streaming service provider helped save the beloved series after funding cuts to PBS threatened to end its longstanding reign as a top children’s program. Here is everything you need to know about what is to come.

Netflix reimagines ‘Sesame Street’

Netflix is working with the production company behind Sesame Street to completely reimagine the beloved children’s series, and it is almost time for fans to see what is new. The streaming service provider partnered with Sesame Workshop in May. The partnership came after the United States government slashed funding for public broadcasting. The partnership brought the two companies together to reimagine a series that will cater to a new generation of children across multiple platforms.

According to PBS, Sesame Workshop and Netflix have worked together to focus on streaming and mobile viewers, while still paying tribute to the show’s roots. A refreshed format will focus on a single 11-minute story, with familiar segments sprinkled in. Fans will still see the same beloved characters, including Elmo and Big Bird. Real-life special guests will also join them. According to AP News, Bubba Wallace will serve as one special guest. The production company has not announced the Additional special guests yet. The series will be released in volumes on Netflix starting November 10, 2025.

The show will still be free to families

While Netflix will feature Sesame Street on its paid platform for domestic and international subscribers, viewers still don’t need a Netflix subscription to enjoy the series. Netflix and Sesame Workshop clarified in May that they aimed to ensure the series remained free and accessible to families. They are staying true to that promise.

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Netflix isn’t keeping new episodes exclusively on the platform. They will also air on PBS at no cost. The first episode of Season 56, “Elmo Runs the Race,” will air on PBS at 12:00 p.m. EST. It will be available for streaming on Netflix at midnight on November 10.

This is not the first time Sesame Street has been available on a streaming platform. The show was previously housed on Max, but Warner Bros. opted not to renew its deal with the iconic series in 2024. Max was also not in a partnership with Sesame Workshop; instead, they simply had a deal to distribute the series. Netflix is actually working closely with the minds behind Sesame Street to help grow the franchise. Netflix and Sesame Workshop have Future projects and spin-offs planned.

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