YouTube Shows and Stars That Have Made The Jump to Netflix

YouTube has become a crucial part of the modern media ecosystem. According to the Nielsen Gauge, it now dominates more streaming time on connected TVs than even Netflix, accounting for 10.8% of total viewing time compared to 8.6% for Netflix. Given this, it’s no surprise that Netflix has made efforts to bring some of YouTube’s most popular shows and creators onto its platform over the years.

Of course, Netflix isn’t picky about where it sources its content. The company has a long history of reviving and rebooting shows from other networks and finding IP in the most unlikely of locations, but its approach to YouTube is unique. Unlike traditional TV series, most YouTube creators and shows come from small beginnings, and the synergy between the two platforms isn’t as immediately clear—unlike, for example, Netflix rescuing a show like Manifest from NBC.

Interestingly, when YouTube shows or talent make the jump to Netflix they don’t abandon YouTube. Instead, they continue to thrive on YouTube while finding a new audience on Netflix. Below, we’ve compiled a list of shows and creators that have made the jump to Netlfix, licensed or otherwise —let us know if we’ve missed any!

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Hater’s Back Off!

Premiering almost a decade ago, Hater’s Back Off! was ahead of its time in pulling YouTube talent to Netflix. Miranda Sings was a popular channel, and after racking up millions of views, Netflix partnered with the star for a scripted series, which ultimately ran for two seasons before getting the axe. Netflix also picked up a stand-up special from Colleen Ballinger, who plays the character, too. 

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CoComelon and Other Animated Pre-School Shows

Many animated titles aimed at younger kids originated on YouTube before making their way onto Netflix, with CoComelon being the main title people cite. Originating with musical clips and stories on YouTube, they eventually were repackaged and dropped onto Netflix in small batches, with regular releases throughout the years beginning in June 2020. As of March 2025, there are now 12 seasons of the main show plus the spin-off CoComelon Lane series and mobile game exclusive to Netflix. According to the Netflix Engagement Reports, CoComelon titles pulled in 770.30 million views in 2023 and 2024. 

There are two companies that fall into this category: Pinkfong and Moonbug. They’ve kept their YouTube channels growing while licensing to Netflix and others. 

Moonbug is the US team behind CoComelon, plus other titles like Little Baby Bum, Go-Buster, Morphle, Blippi, Arpo, T-Rex Ranch, Little Angel, and Gecko’s Garage.

Pinkfong, operated from South Korea, is behind Baby Shark’s Space Adventure, Little Dino School, and Bebefinn. 

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Explained

We might need a steward’s inquiry on this one! Vox Media, the company behind the website and popular YouTube channel, has long produced the series Explained. Covering a wide range of topics—from science and nature to business and beyond—the series delivers well-crafted, in-depth explorations of various subjects.

In 2021, Vox partnered with Netflix to bring an expanded version of Explained to the platform, resulting in three seasons of a main show (plus multiple spin-offs) that offered even deeper insights into each subject picked out. Each episode featured a celebrity narrator. 

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Oddballs

TheOdd1sOut and Netflix first confirmed they were teaming up to bring their popular animation style from YouTube for a brand new show called Oddballs. YouTube creator James Rallison was behind the series. It follows a young bubble-shaped boy called James “whose observations on life fuel his comedic rants at everyday annoyances and elevates them to laughably absurd heights.” Sadly, the series was canceled after a single season. 

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The Amazing Digital Circus

In 2024, Netflix made an unconventional deal with the animation studio GLITCH, which has a YouTube Channel with over 13 million subscribers. They picked up an ongoing series called The Amazing Digital Circus that had released two episodes up until then. As part of the Netflix deal, the streamer would launch new episodes day and date alongside them dropping on YouTube. 

Following its launch on Netflix, The Amazing Digital Circus picked up 7 million views in its first two weeks on the platform, appearing in the weekly Top 10s in over 35 countries. 

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Ms. Rachel

Sticking with the preschool theme, we come to Ms. Rachel, who was announced in January 2025 to be part of Netflix’s lineup. Four episodes dropped in January, and more will come in the future. Songs for Littles is the production company behind the show, run by Rachel Accurso & Aron Accurso, which started on YouTube and racks up over 400 million views per month. 

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Inside

The Sidemen are behind this reality competition series, which began its life on YouTube and moved exclusively to Netflix for its second season. For those unaware, The Sidemen are a troupe of YouTubers who all built their careers on the platform throughout the 2010s, consisting of KSI, Vikkstar123, W2S, Miniminter, TBJZL, Behzinga, and Zerkaa. 

The show began on YouTube, but for the second season, Netflix took over the production and released new episodes over the course of a week, beginning on March 17th, 2025. Two hosts said they jumped to Netflix because it allowed them to have a bigger budget and achieve things they couldn’t as an independent production. 

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Kill Tony

Beginning in 2013, Kill Tony is a live podcast stand-up comedy show that found its feet on YouTube, where they’ve now released over 700 episodes and amassed nearly 500 million views. Netflix first hosted a Kill Tony show during its 2024 Netflix is a Joke Fest, but in 2025, it will be the home to at least three episodes (and a separate special from Hinchcliffe), with the first touching down in April 2025. 

For those unfamiliar with the format, aspiring comedians are picked out of a bucket to perform an uninterrupted one-minute set of stand-ups. After that minute, a rotating panel of guests lets the comic know precisely what they thought of their routine. 

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Son of a Donkey

This one is fairly niche, at least for those outside of Australia. Superwog1 is a YouTube channel with over 3.6M subscribers and is best known for comedy sketches. Netflix first teamed up with them back in 2022, licensing the show Superbro in most regions around the world. In 2025, they’ll be going one step further with a new limited series titled Son of a Donkey.

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Other YouTube to Netflix Transitions (Often with Asterisks!)

• Cobra Kai – This Karate Kid spin-off series began its life on YouTube Premium (also known as YouTube Red) before being picked up by Netflix from season 3 onwards. 
• EastSiders –  Beginning as a YouTube series, this dark comedy came from Kit Williamson with a later season sold to Netflix, although it isn’t classed as a Netflix Original. 
• Takki – This is a Saudi Arabian webseries that premiered two seasons on YouTube before Netflix picked it up for a third season back in 2021.

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That’s it for now. Bloomberg reported last year that the incredibly popular show Hot Ones from First We Feast was another target for Netflix in 2024, but nothing has yet to materialize officially.

We’re sure more YouTubers and YouTube shows will make the jump in the years to come. What would you like to see Netflix take on next? Let us know in the comments.