YouTuber and former NASA engineer Mark Rober has offered new details about Schooled!, his upcoming competition series for Netflix, in an interview given at the Bloomberg ScreenTime event. Rober used the conversation to explain how the show works, why he decided to bring his Crunch Labs brand to the platform, and how this partnership has boosted his business outside of YouTube.
The relationship between Rober and Netflix began in August 2025, as part of the streaming service's strategy to incorporate high-reach internet creators alongside established children's figures like CoComelon and Ms. Rachel. Since then, Rober's presence in the catalog has grown significantly.
According to data shared in the interview, Rober's titles on Netflix have accumulated 104.8 million hours of viewing globally between 2025 and mid-2026, which is equivalent to 53 million views.
What is Schooled!, Mark Rober’s new bet for Netflix
Schooled! is an unscripted competition series produced in collaboration with Kimmelot, Jimmy Kimmel's production company. The show brings the spirit of Rober's viral YouTube experiments to a real school setting.
Rober described the premise of the format as follows: The premise is: what happens when you take a real school and turn it into an engineering playground, and I am the principal. As he explained, the show brings together 14 children organized into seven teams of two, aged between 9 and 17, who compete in each episode in science and engineering challenges.
Among the tests mentioned by Rober are launching trash can rockets from the roof to try to make them into a basketball hoop, trampolines installed in the hallways, and lockers filled with gel. The winner of the contest will receive half a million dollars for college tuition and an internship with Rober at Crunch Labs.
A leap in production scale
Rober also spoke about the change involved in going from producing content solo to working on a Netflix set with hundreds of people. As he recounted, for a decade he filmed his videos practically alone, with a camera and a tripod, and did not leave his job at Apple until he reached 10 million subscribers. On the set of Schooled!, he noted that there were about 300 people present per day, which allowed him to observe both ends of the production process.
Why Mark Rober decided to expand to Netflix
Despite having an audience larger than many traditional networks, Rober explained that joining Netflix opened doors he could not have opened independently on YouTube. As an example, he cited a collaboration with Sesame Street that included a duet with Elmo on the song Failure is Awesome, performed with auto-tune.
The creator also highlighted that a project of the magnitude of Schooled! required an initial investment that he could not have assumed on his own if he had tried to produce it exclusively for YouTube.
YouTube remains the core of his project
Rober was clear in pointing out that his move to Netflix does not mean abandoning the platform that made him famous. He defined the situation as an additive scenario rather than a replacement, in which Crunch Labs becomes a multi-platform brand that seeks to reach as many audiences as possible.
Asked about reports of possible friction between YouTube and Netflix over retaining prominent creators, Rober confirmed that he maintains conversations with YouTube executives, including Neal Mohan, about launch strategies, including the possibility of simultaneous releases on both platforms. According to Rober, both YouTube and Netflix—he mentioned Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos at this point—perceive that being multi-platform benefits creators.
How Schooled! tries to preserve the essence of YouTube
Rober explained that his team worked specifically to prevent Schooled! from losing the informality and direct tone characteristic of his YouTube videos, something that is often lost when digital creators make the leap to more traditional television productions. As he detailed, the show does not follow a conventional edit and breaks the fourth wall more frequently, in an attempt to maintain the authenticity that connects with his audience.
The impact of Netflix on the Crunch Labs business
Rober also confirmed a direct relationship between his presence on Netflix and the growth of Crunch Labs, his company of educational science kits that are shipped to homes. The creator noted that the exposure gained through the platform has been significant in making his products known to a wider audience.
Mark Rober titles available on Netflix
Before Schooled!, the collaboration between Rober and Netflix had already resulted in several projects. The compilation series Mark Rober's CrunchLabs quickly became a hit within the Netflix kids' top 10 in numerous countries. This was followed by the holiday special Elmo and Mark Rober's Merry Giftmas, released in December, and subsequently Camp CrunchLabs, launched in the summer of 2026.
Frequently asked questions about Schooled!, Mark Rober’s series on Netflix
What is Schooled!, the new Mark Rober series on Netflix?
Schooled! is an unscripted competition series produced with Kimmelot, Jimmy Kimmel's production company, in which a real school becomes a stage for science and engineering challenges starring Mark Rober as the principal.
When does Schooled! premiere on Netflix?
As confirmed in the interview, Schooled! is scheduled for early 2027, although an exact release date has not been provided.
How does the competition work in Schooled!?
The show brings together 14 participants aged between 9 and 17, divided into seven teams of two, who compete in each episode in engineering and science tests. The winning team receives half a million dollars for college tuition and an internship with Mark Rober at Crunch Labs.
Is Mark Rober leaving YouTube for Netflix?
No. Rober has noted that he still considers himself a YouTuber and will continue to produce content for the platform, while adding Netflix as an additional space within a multi-platform strategy for Crunch Labs.
What other Mark Rober titles are available on Netflix?
In addition to Schooled!, Mark Rober's CrunchLabs, the special Elmo and Mark Rober's Merry Giftmas, and Camp CrunchLabs are already available on Netflix.
