'Young Sheldon' Streaming Rights to Move From CBS All Access to HBO Max

Iain Armitage-led spinoff joins parent series “The Big Bang Theory” on WarnerMedia-owned streaming service

Bazinga! HBO Max is about to become the proud home of both Sheldon Cooper and young Sheldon Cooper. The WarnerMedia-owned streaming service revealed Friday it has acquired the exclusive streaming rights to “Young Sheldon,” adding the comedy to a lineup that already includes its now-ended parent series, “The Big Bang Theory.”

The Iain Armitage-led “Young Sheldon” (produced by Warner Bros. TV and airing on CBS) currently streams on CBS All Access where only episodes from its recently ended third season are available. As of today, HBO Max has closed a deal with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution to remove Season 3 of “Young Sheldon” from CBS All Access and move the show’s entire library over to HBO Max. Additionally, beginning with Season 4 this fall, in-season episodes will be made available on HBO Max after airing.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

It was a safe bet that “Young Sheldon” would inevitably be joining the Jim Parsons-led “Big Bang Theory” (also a Warner Bros. show) on HBO Max (WarnerMedia’s new streamer) at some point. However, because beloved titles have been shuffled around more in acquisition deals as media giants launch their own streaming services — with Warner Bros. sitcom “Two and a Half Men” recently licensed to NBCUniversal for its forthcoming streaming service Peacock, and the streaming rights to ViacomCBS’s “South Park” picked up by HBO Max — there wasn’t a guarantee that HBO Max would be acquiring the exclusive streaming rights to “Young Sheldon” from CBS All Access.

Complicating the matter further was the fact ViacomCBS is looking to beef up its SVOD’s offerings and the highly-rated “Young Sheldon” is still airing on CBS, putting the spinoff in a different category from a show like “Big Bang Theory,” which has already ended.

Here’s the official description for “Young Sheldon,” courtesy of HBO Max:

For 12 years on “The Big Bang Theory,” audiences came to know the iconic, eccentric and extraordinary Sheldon Cooper. The single-camera, half-hour comedy “Young Sheldon” gives viewers the chance to meet him in childhood, as he embarks on his innocent, awkward and hopeful journey toward the man he will become.
For young Sheldon Cooper, it isn’t easy growing up in East Texas. Being a once-in-a-generation mind capable of advanced mathematics and science isn’t always helpful in a land where church and football are king. And while the vulnerable, gifted and somewhat naïve Sheldon deals with the world, his very normal family must find a way to deal with him. His father, George, is struggling to find his way as a high school football coach and as father to a boy he doesn’t understand. Sheldon’s mother, Mary, fiercely protects and nurtures her son in a town where he just doesn’t fit in. Sheldon’s older brother, Georgie, does the best he can in high school, but it’s tough to be cool when you’re in the same classes with your odd 9-year-old brother. Finally, there’s Sheldon’s twin sister, Missy, who sometimes resents all the attention Sheldon gets, but also remains the one person who can reliably tell Sheldon the truth.

Along with Armitage as Young Sheldon, the series stars Zoe Perry, Lance Barber, Montana Jordan, Raegan Revord, with Annie Potts, and Parsons as the voice of Sheldon.

Chuck Lorre and Steven Molaro created “Young Sheldon” and serve as executive producers with Steve Holland, Parsons and Todd Spiewak. The comedy hails from Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Having just ended its third season, CBS’ “Young Sheldon” is currently averaging a 1.62 rating in the advertiser-coveted adults 18-49 demographic and 11.4 million total viewers, according to the “most current” data from Nielsen, which includes a week’s worth of delayed viewing where available.

“We now feel like our ‘Big Bang’ offering is complete,” Kevin Reilly, HBO Max’s chief content officer, said in a statement. “We are so proud to be the home of this beloved franchise and the place where new and existing fans can learn about young Sheldon Cooper’s roots.”

Lorre and Molaro added: “In order for Sheldon Cooper to visit his younger self, he would need to manipulate spacetime. All you actually need is HBO Max. We are so pleased that ‘Young Sheldon’ will once again be reunited with his future self on HBO Max, and we are excited for fans, new and old, to be able to binge both ‘The Big Bang Theory’ and ‘Young Sheldon’ for the first time.”

HBO Max launched Wednesday with hundreds of titles from the WarnerMedia library and a handful of new originals. The streaming service will cost you $14.99/month, which is bumped down to an $11.99 introductory rate for the first year, or is (most likely) already available to you for free if you’re an HBO or HBO Now subscriber.