What’s New on Sesame Street and What It Means for WTTW Viewers

For more than 50 years, Sesame Street has been a trusted companion for families across Chicago and around the world. Since its debut in 1969, the groundbreaking series has blended education with joy, teaching generations of children about letters, numbers, friendship, and fairness. Now, as it enters its 56th season, Sesame Street will reach more families than ever.

Starting later this year, Sesame Street will be available to watch on both PBS and Netflix on the same day.

In recent history, new Sesame Street episodes first aired on HBO under an exclusive agreement. With the shift to Netflix, WTTW viewers will be able to watch Sesame Street episodes – on WTTW, wttw.com/kids, and the PBS Kids app – on the same day they premiere on Netflix.

This change marks a return to Sesame Street’s roots: making high-quality, educational content freely accessible to all.