‘Sesame Street’ And Cricket Media To Launch Free Streaming Channel Dedicated To The Series

EXCLUSIVE: Sesame Street and Cricket Media are teaming to launch a 24/7 FAST channel dedicated to the children’s television staple. Initially, the free streaming channel will draw from Seasons 39 through 46. (Starting in Season 46, the series contracted from an hour to a half-hour.) Cricket subsidiary Sensical plans to refresh the programming monthly, with the possibility of adding additional seasons down the line. The full library of the show, which first aired in 1969, is included in the agreement, spanning more than 4,000 episodes and 8,000 hours of programming. It is the first time a programming partner has been given access to all episodes, the parties say. After spending decades as an exclusive fixture of public television, financial necessity motivated a decision in 2016 by producer Sesame Workshop to sign a deal with HBO. That pact put new episodes on the premium cable network, and later HBO Max after it launched in 2020. Last year, Sesame and Netflix partnered, with PBS stations resuming firstrun broadcasts at the same time they go live on the subscription streamer. Watch on Deadline Widening access to the series is a core goal of Cricket Media’s new channel, which will have about seven minutes of ads per hour, all of them screened to be appropriate for family viewing. Volkswagen and Toys“R”Us are among the blue-chip advertisers aboard for the channel’s launch. Major platforms like Samsung TV Plus, LG Channels, Xumo Play and Vizio WatchFree+ will carry the channel, and distribution talks are ongoing with other companies. A broader expansion strategy, with additional U.S. platforms and international distribution planned for 2027. Sensical, Cricket’s own platform, will also host the channel. Cricket Media, the 50-year-old children’s media company known for its namesake print magazine, acquired majority control of Sensical in February 2025. In the nearly two years since, the company has pursued a diversified strategy as the media landscape and technology continue to evolve. The company has maintained its print presence, but combined it with streaming and newer offerings like the AI product HeyCricket. While the company has made deals with a number of prestige media brands, Sesame Street still represents the pinnacle of kids media. The series “is one of the most trusted and recognizable brands in children’s media, and bringing it to families through free, connected television is an important step in our strategy,” Cricket Media CEO Eric Berger said in a statement. “We’re building a next-generation children’s media company that brings together trusted content and brands, expanded streaming distribution, advertising and new ways for kids to discover and explore content. With launch partners like Volkswagen and Toys“R”Us, we’re also demonstrating how premium programming can attract major advertisers and connect them with families across our growing network of streaming, digital and publishing platforms.”