Nick Martel

Now, after this Tickle Me Elmo commercial moment, Sesame Street goes all in on Elmo programming. There's Elmo's World, a segment that runs for more than 140 episodes. And he even gets his own Elmo talk show, the Not So Late Show. The Not So Late Show. Elmo's got a bedtime. It's understandable. And this is a little concept that Nick and I called Let Your Winners Ride.

When you have early signs that point to a top-performing product... Lean in, double down, and get that product out there. Let your winners ride. It's Elmo's world, and honestly, we're just living in it, Jack. Elmo goes on to inherit the big torch from Big Bird, taking on the hard subjects from homelessness to grief.

When you have early signs that point to a top-performing product... Lean in, double down, and get that product out there. Let your winners ride. It's Elmo's world, and honestly, we're just living in it, Jack. Elmo goes on to inherit the big torch from Big Bird, taking on the hard subjects from homelessness to grief.

When you have early signs that point to a top-performing product... Lean in, double down, and get that product out there. Let your winners ride. It's Elmo's world, and honestly, we're just living in it, Jack. Elmo goes on to inherit the big torch from Big Bird, taking on the hard subjects from homelessness to grief.

And then, Jack, remember last year, Elmo typed his famous post-pandemic tweet into Twitter? Elmo is just checking in. How is everybody doing? I do remember that tweet. 221 million views of that tweet. It actually sparked a conversation about mental health post-pandemic. Elmo is an influencer in the most positive sense of the word.

And then, Jack, remember last year, Elmo typed his famous post-pandemic tweet into Twitter? Elmo is just checking in. How is everybody doing? I do remember that tweet. 221 million views of that tweet. It actually sparked a conversation about mental health post-pandemic. Elmo is an influencer in the most positive sense of the word.

And then, Jack, remember last year, Elmo typed his famous post-pandemic tweet into Twitter? Elmo is just checking in. How is everybody doing? I do remember that tweet. 221 million views of that tweet. It actually sparked a conversation about mental health post-pandemic. Elmo is an influencer in the most positive sense of the word.

Jack and I love doing the show because we get to go deep on the most viral products of all time. But Jack, this is the first time we've done a TV show, and we were curious if this would work. But by every critical metric, Sesame Street is a smash success no matter what industry lens you view it through.

Jack and I love doing the show because we get to go deep on the most viral products of all time. But Jack, this is the first time we've done a TV show, and we were curious if this would work. But by every critical metric, Sesame Street is a smash success no matter what industry lens you view it through.

Jack and I love doing the show because we get to go deep on the most viral products of all time. But Jack, this is the first time we've done a TV show, and we were curious if this would work. But by every critical metric, Sesame Street is a smash success no matter what industry lens you view it through.

Since 1969, it's won 221 Emmy Awards, 11 Grammys, and it became the first TV show to win a Kennedy Center Honor. Literally millions of children have learned their ABCs, their 123s, their yellow, blue, and their green because of this show. But besties, we also studied the financials.

Since 1969, it's won 221 Emmy Awards, 11 Grammys, and it became the first TV show to win a Kennedy Center Honor. Literally millions of children have learned their ABCs, their 123s, their yellow, blue, and their green because of this show. But besties, we also studied the financials.

Since 1969, it's won 221 Emmy Awards, 11 Grammys, and it became the first TV show to win a Kennedy Center Honor. Literally millions of children have learned their ABCs, their 123s, their yellow, blue, and their green because of this show. But besties, we also studied the financials.

And despite the great programming and the great numbers, the 2010s brought some challenges for the Sesame Street business model. The rise of streaming hurts DVD sales, which were a major source of revenue for Sesame Street. Plus, dozens of new children's shows, many of them inspired by Sesame Street, are now competing for viewers.

And despite the great programming and the great numbers, the 2010s brought some challenges for the Sesame Street business model. The rise of streaming hurts DVD sales, which were a major source of revenue for Sesame Street. Plus, dozens of new children's shows, many of them inspired by Sesame Street, are now competing for viewers.

And despite the great programming and the great numbers, the 2010s brought some challenges for the Sesame Street business model. The rise of streaming hurts DVD sales, which were a major source of revenue for Sesame Street. Plus, dozens of new children's shows, many of them inspired by Sesame Street, are now competing for viewers.

It's the attention economy, from Peppa Pig to Thomas the Tank Engine to Bluey. So after losing $11 million in 2014, the production company now called Sesame Workshop is in danger of shutting down. Then Sesame Workshop makes a controversial move. In 2015, this nonprofit partners with the very for-profit HBO, a premium channel better known for The Sopranos than for Singing Muppets.

It's the attention economy, from Peppa Pig to Thomas the Tank Engine to Bluey. So after losing $11 million in 2014, the production company now called Sesame Workshop is in danger of shutting down. Then Sesame Workshop makes a controversial move. In 2015, this nonprofit partners with the very for-profit HBO, a premium channel better known for The Sopranos than for Singing Muppets.

It's the attention economy, from Peppa Pig to Thomas the Tank Engine to Bluey. So after losing $11 million in 2014, the production company now called Sesame Workshop is in danger of shutting down. Then Sesame Workshop makes a controversial move. In 2015, this nonprofit partners with the very for-profit HBO, a premium channel better known for The Sopranos than for Singing Muppets.

And that deal gives HBO a nine-month exclusivity window for new Sesame Street episodes. After that, they then air for free on PBS, just like before. Now, some critics and public television advocates worry that HBO might pressure Sesame Street to prioritize minutes watched instead of ABC's learned. Or that putting new shows behind a nine-month paywall will contribute to inequality.