Here’s some news that’s sure to make Oscar the Grouch even grouchier.
HBO Max is pulling some 200 “Sesame Street” episodes, according to Variety and other media outlets. The decision could be part of a wave of cost-cutting by the streaming platform, or as Variety noted, it “appears to be part of new owner Warner Bros. Discovery’s WBD, +4.09% belt-tightening moves, aimed at reducing streaming-content payment obligations.”
Until recently, HBO Max had offered about 650 episodes of the popular PBS children’s series, which has run for more than 50 years and features such beloved characters as Kermit the Frog, Big Bird and, yes, Oscar the Grouch. But Variety said that only 456 episodes were available as of Friday.
There’s a little less Oscar the Grouch to go around on HBO Max.
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An HBO Max spokesperson told MarketWatch that some episodes were indeed removed, but that the change was made to focus on the best of historic and more current episodes.
“‘Sesame Street’ is and has always been an important part of television culture and a crown jewel of our preschool offering,” an HBO Max spokesperson said. “We are committed to continuing to bring ‘Sesame Street’ into families’ homes, including the newest season premiering this fall and the nearly 400 episodes of the most current and historic seasons that remain” on HBO Max.
But plenty of fans reacted to the disappearing episodes with dismay, which led “Sesame Street” to trend on Twitter TWTR, +0.30% with more than 10,000 tweets on Friday afternoon. “You have to be a special kind of evil to remove episodes of Sesame Street of all things,” tweeted one.
This isn’t the only cost-cutting moves being made at HBO Max of late. The streaming service is also reducing its labor force, according to a Wall Street Journal report. And it is removing other programs from its lineup, according to Variety.
Still, August a big month for HBO Max. The service will begin streaming the much-anticipated “House of the Dragon,” the prequel to “Game of Thrones,” starting Sunday.