The Sesame Street Muppets Are Heading To Paris To Cover The Summer Olympics

As we get ready to watch the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, which get going on July 26 and continue through until Aug. 11, people will be thinking about who to watch for the best coverage since most of us can’t be there ourselves. Well, look no further. Elmo, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby, and Tango are hopping on a hot air balloon to make their way over to Paris for this year’s Olympics. And not just for a little holiday to take some time away from Sesame Street, where they spend almost all of their time. The Sesame Street gang will be covering the Paris Summer Games for NBC Sports, and they’re obviously going to give the best color commentary on the market.

NBCUniversal and Sesame Street teamed up to get Elmo, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby, and Tango over to Paris to provide commentary for the Paris Summer Olympics in 2024. The Muppets will take part in coverage of the Opening Ceremony as well as follow the U.S. Olympic Team Trials and the Paralympic Games. Their journey across the ocean in a hot air balloon will even be shared with bespoke illustrations of their journey, which sounds much more glamorous than a regular airplane.

Cookie Monster, for one, is very excited to get to Paris, land of the delicious macaron. Which is, of course, a cookie. “Me love sports almost as much as me love cookies!” Cookie Monster said in a statement shared with Romper. “Me so excited about all da events, but especially da discus throw. Dat one really look delicious.”

The ever positive and joyful Elmo is also pretty excited. “Elmo is very excited to go to Paris to cheer on all the athletes at the Olympics,” said Elmo. “And Elmo is also excited to do a little sightseeing. Elmo can’t wait to get an eyeful of the Tower. Get it? Eyeful Tower! Hee hee hee. Paris, here we come! Gooooo teams!”

Abby Cadabby, meanwhile, appears to have done a bit of research into speaking French. “I just can’t wait to get to Paree! (That’s how you pronounce it, Elmo.) It’s going to be MAGICAL!” said Abby.

Elmo and the gang have experience with reporting, as their fans know. In the early days of Covid-19, they partnered with CNN for a series of Town Halls to help kids understand the pandemic. So really, heading over to Paris in a hot air balloon to snack on macarons and watch the Olympics must feel like a real treat for the Muppets. And a treat for us, too.