Rachel Accurso, a 42-year-old former preschool teacher affectionately known as “Ms. Rachel” by her kiddo subscribers, has signed with Netflix for a four-episode series available to stream on January 27. The run will start with four, 30- to 60-minute episodes featuring compilations of the YouTuber’s lessons on shapes, colors, letters, numbers, and more. 

The show, Ms. Rachel will be available in English, with subtitles in 33 other languages. More episodes are expected to roll out later in the year. The series will mix with an established lineup of bona fide children’s hits on the streaming service that includes Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, Shaun the Sheep, and Gabby’s Dollhouse. 

It’s no surprise that the children’s content creator has struck a deal with Netflix—her videos typically rake in millions of views, with her most popular attracting 1.1 billion hits. Ms. Rachel has built an empire off her signature pink headband, catchy nursery rhymes, and interactive lessons. It’s estimated that she makes up to $17.6 million yearly, according to her account’s Social Blade profile; and with 13.1 million YouTube subscribers, Ms. Rachel could be a prime opportunity for Netflix to convert a dedicated fan base to a paid audience. Her deal represents a growing trend among streaming giants in tapping content creators to lead Hollywood productions. 

The nursery school-esque show offers the potential for Netflix to further break into a new generation of viewers, as streaming companies have had a difficult run captivating young audiences. YouTube has long reigned as the primary competitor, and the platform’s briefer content format is more conducive to children’s short attention spans. One of Netflix’s most popular kid shows, CoComelon—which broke records at the streaming service by holding a spot in the “Top 10” for 62 days—originated as a YouTube series. 

Ms. Rachel’s upcoming Netflix debut

Ms. Rachel’s “littles” will now have a curated version of her research-backed videos, ready to stream and dance along to. There are four episodes of Ms. Rachel scheduled for the first drop later this month.

1. Learn to Talk—”What’s in the Box?” Speech and Toddler Learning
2. Baby Learning—First words, Milestones, Nursery Rhymes, and Songs
3. Learn to Read—Phonics, ABCs, and Preschool Learning
4. Hop Little Bunnies—Plus More Songs and Nursery rhymes

YouTubers are snatching streaming deals

Streaming companies have been closing deals with content creators for years—and YouTubers seem to be the pick of the litter. 

Netflix has struck several deals with media personalities in the past, with varied success. In 2016 the company worked with YouTuber Colleen Ballinger, known on the internet as “Miranda Sings,” for a series called Haters Back Off. It ran for two eight-episode seasons before getting canned. “The Sidemen,” a group of seven British YouTube stars with 130 million subscribers collectively, will bring season two of their reality show Inside to Netflix in 2025. And just last year, the platform streamed a boxing match between YouTuber Jake Paul and veteran fighter Mike Tyson, which broke the company’s live viewership records. 

Other streaming giants have followed suit. Amazon Prime struck a deal with famous YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, known to his 344 million followers as “MrBeast.” They created a reality competition series called Beast Games, complete with five episodes and a $5 million reward for contestants. In 2021, Discovery+ also partnered with YouTuber David Dobrik, who has a fanbase of over 17 million viewers, for a travel show called Discovering David Dobrik. It ran for one season with four episodes before being canceled. 

As more content creators are tapped into Hollywood, the two industries have become deeply interconnected. There are clear upsides to employing media personalities: they have a baked-in following, distinctive persona, and expertise in entertainment. But also, considering the fallibility of many streaming shows, it checks out that success on YouTube won’t always translate to streaming. 

There’s no telling if Ms. Rachel will have more success than others in making the transition to Netflix—but with a gap in the toddler viewership market, this deal could rake in big numbers. The first batch of episodes set to roll out in the coming weeks will serve as the test run. As Netflix reminded viewers in its announcement, “Be sure to have your headbands handy!”