'Sesame Street' to Air on HBO as a Half-Hour Show

— -- "Sesame Street" is going through a transitional period.

As of November, the Sesame Workshop will no longer produce hour-long episodes of the PBS children's TV show, a representative told ABC News. However, half-hour episodes of "Sesame Street" will continue to air.

In addition, Sesame Workshop announced a new partnership with HBO today, which will also allow the cable network to air the next five seasons.

“Our new partnership with HBO represents a true winning public-private partnership model,” said Jeffrey D. Dunn, Sesame Workshop’s CEO.

“It provides Sesame Workshop with the critical funding it needs to be able to continue production of 'Sesame Street' and secure its nonprofit mission of helping kids grow smarter, stronger and kinder; it gives HBO exclusive pay cable and SVOD access to the nation’s most important and historic educational programming; and it allows 'Sesame Street' to continue to air on PBS and reach all children, as it has for the past 45 years," he added.

"Sesame Street" has been on the air as a 60-minute show since 1969. It began producing half-hour shows last year.