In 2018, YouTube rebranded its YouTube Red service into YouTube Music and YouTube Premium. YouTube Premium delivers ad-free viewing, offline downloads, background playback, full YouTube Music access, and exclusive YouTube Originals.
Just like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, YouTube produces its own exclusive series and films branded as YouTube Originals. These span diverse genres, blending established actors with popular YouTubers. They're available in all YouTube Premium markets and stream seamlessly across devices.
We've curated this list of standout titles to help you discover the best ones available now.
Cobra Kai stands out as one of the most acclaimed YouTube Originals, drawing inspiration from all four Karate Kid films.
Set 34 years after the original, this 10-episode series follows the reopening of the Cobra Kai dojo and reignites the rivalry between Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence.
Ralph Macchio and William Zabka reprise their iconic roles. A second season arrived in 2019.
This YouTube Original builds on the five Step Up dance-drama films from 2006 to 2014.
It follows twins Tal (Petrice Jones) and Janelle (Lauryn McClain), who relocate to Atlanta amid a family crisis and enroll in Sage Odom's (Ne-Yo) cutthroat performing arts school.
Expect high-energy music, comedy, and drama across 10 episodes. Channing Tatum executive produces.
Kedi results from documentary filmmakers capturing life among millions of stray cats in Istanbul—the first film on our list.
This heartwarming tale traces seven cats' lives, paired with melancholic music and poignant voiceover. Essential viewing for cat lovers.
Created by comedy duo Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal, this quirky series was an early mainstream hit for YouTube Originals.
Launched in 2017, it outpaced demand for shows like Orange Is the New Black, Santa Clarita Diet, The Grand Tour, and The Man in the High Castle.
Rhett and Link play heightened versions of themselves, battling to reclaim their morning talk show from a shared ex-girlfriend.
Fans of Felix Kjellberg's content will love Scare PewDiePie, where the YouTube star faces elaborate horror setups in a reality format.
After watching the 10-episode season, we found it entertaining despite some scripted-feeling reactions. A second season was canceled in 2017 amid controversy, though PewDiePie remains the most-subscribed YouTuber.
This high school drama nails every teen trope: scheming queens, bullies targeting sexuality and class, tangled romances, cliques, and more.
Released in March 2018, its eight episodes quickly topped YouTube's charts. No second season announced yet.
The second YouTube Original movie on our list reimagines A Christmas Carol with stars like Mariah Carey, DJ Khaled, Ciara, Fifth Harmony, Rudy Mancuso, Melanie Iglesias, and Mike Tyson.
DJ Khaled and Mariah Carey guide Mancuso through a winter wonderland to rediscover Christmas spirit. Fun seasonal streaming, though not a timeless classic. Check our Top 10 Christmas Movies on Netflix for more holiday picks.
Dive into sci-fi with Lifeline, akin to Black Mirror. See our 10 Best Modern Sci-Fi Movies on Netflix.
Insurance agents Connor (Zach Gilford) and Haley (Amanda Crew) time-travel 33 days ahead to foresee client deaths, then prevent them. Later episodes explore time travel's toll, like slowed aging. Eight episodes; no second season.
Michael Stevens of Vsauce brings his curiosity to Mind Field, a documentary-style series probing human behavior.
Each episode features experiments, from Stevens enduring solitary confinement, to rage-release tests, to conformity studies with planted wrong answers.
This rom-com follows two LA high schoolers' pact: attend prom together if single, and marry by 30 if still alone.
Years later, post-breakups, they reunite and revive the deal amid modern dating chaos.
These exclusives require YouTube Premium. Wondering if it's right for you? See our guide: Is YouTube Premium Worth the Money? 7 Things to Consider. (YouTube Music users upgrade for just $2/month.)
