Netflix is expanding its relationship with YouTube creator Alan Chikin Chow, bringing his “Alan’s Universe” franchise to the streaming platform, per Deadline. Under the deal, Netflix members worldwide will be able to watch new episodes day-and-date with YouTube, alongside a library of past episodes.

“Alan’s Universe” is a scripted high school anthology series described as a cross between a classic Disney Channel sitcom and the Korean drama “Boys Over Flowers.” Each episode follows Chow and his friends through fantastical scenarios, from high school bullies to hidden pop star identities, built around the idea that love resolves life’s struggles. The series is produced by Moris Zingman and Laith Souqi, with Jungyoon Kim as Chief Operating Officer and Stepan Laptev and Leonid Maslakov as creative directors. Chelsea Sik co-stars alongside Chow.

Chow is the most-watched YouTube Shorts creator, averaging between 1 billion and 1.5 billion views per month across a franchise that spans YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan has called him “a powerful symbol of the broader shift happening in the industry.”

The Netflix deal is not Chow’s first with the streamer. In January, Netflix announced Chow was developing an untitled scripted series set in the K-pop world in partnership with HYBE AMERICA, the U.S. arm of the company behind BTS, with Chow serving as executive producer alongside HYBE AMERICA’s James Shin and Jingu Jang.

Netflix’s Pursuit of YouTube Talent

The “Alan’s Universe” deal continues a pattern at Netflix, which has spent the past year signing creators who built their audiences on YouTube, including Ms. Rachel, Mark Rober, and The Sidemen. Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos described YouTube as a “farm league” for creators at a March 2025 industry event, noting that YouTube does not provide creators with upfront production funding the way a studio deal can.

Chow’s infrastructure for scaling “Alan’s Universe” predates the Netflix relationship. He opened a 10,000-square-foot production facility in Los Angeles in November 2024, designed around the aesthetic of the Korean reality competition “Idol School,” to support production of the interconnected vignettes that get cut into short-form content across platforms. He signed with CAA in July 2024 and has acting credits in “Grey’s Anatomy,” “13 Reasons Why,” and “Into the Dark.”

Chow has framed his career as evidence of a broader shift in who controls storytelling. “In the past, there were a few key decision-makers who got to choose what stories get told,” he said. “But now, because of technology, that power has gone back to the people.”

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