Who Is Mark Rober? Ex-NASA Engineer and YouTube Star Lands Netflix Competition Show Deal

Mark Rober, the former NASA engineer, who reinvented himself as one of YouTube's biggest science creators, is making the leap to Netflix. Known for his jaw-dropping experiments — from elephant toothpaste explosions to ingenious glitter bombs — Rober has built a following of more than 76 million fans across social platforms. Now, his viral science moments will be packaged into a special 'greatest hits' compilation set to stream later in 2025.

Looking ahead, Rober is also developing an all-new kids and family competition series with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. Produced by Rober's CrunchLabs and Kimmel's Kimmelot, the show will premiere in 2026 and promises to blend fun with learning, turning STEM challenges into an entertaining game show. Netflix executives say his unique style of 'hiding the vegetables in the dessert' will connect with audiences of all ages.

The deal mirrors Netflix's push to sign YouTube stars like Ms. Rachel and The Sidemen, tapping into their built-in fanbases. For Rober, it marks his biggest move yet, bringing his inventive and educational style to a global streaming audience.