Mark Rober

Mark Rober built one of YouTube’s biggest audiences by making science and engineering fun, from elaborate experiments to increasingly ambitious stunts. He has since turned the idea at the heart of that content into CrunchLabs, a business that has taken his approach to science far beyond YouTube and earns Rober a place in the Elite tier.

Perhaps no better testament to that is the deal Netflix struck with Rober last August to bring his science and engineering content to the platform. Announced with considerable fanfare, the partnership would see Rober bring his existing CrunchLabs videos to Netflix alongside new programming created for the streamer. It has since grown considerably. Mark Rober’s CrunchLabs arrived in November and had reached four seasons by May, becoming a major hit with younger viewers along the way. The series reached number one in Netflix’s Kids chart in dozens of countries and remained in the Top 10 for months in several markets. Camp CrunchLabs followed in June, while Netflix is also developing Schooled!, an original reality series tied to CrunchLabs Academy.

Netflix is far from the only major company buying into what Rober has built. In February, CrunchLabs partnered with Moose Toys to create a range inspired by his experiments, taking the brand from subscription science kits onto retail shelves. Rivian has also partnered with Rober on engineering-focused content, adding to a roster of major partnerships that has included YouTube and Scholastic.

Rober’s most ambitious move, however, has been to take CrunchLabs into the classroom. In July, he committed $55 million to Class CrunchLabs, a free science curriculum developed with the National Science Teaching Association and designed for students in grades three to eight. The programme includes more than 1,000 videos available in 34 languages alongside hands-on activities. YouTube and Google.org added another $2.5 million in October to support its expansion, giving the project significant backing as Rober attempts to bring the approach behind his content into schools.

That trajectory is what makes Rober an Elite. CrunchLabs has grown from a subscription product into a brand spanning entertainment, retail and education, while remaining rooted in the same idea that built Rober’s audience in the first place. Few creators have shown quite so clearly how far the premise of their content can travel.

Representation: Rober is represented by WME.