Karate Kid TV show heads to Netflix as 'Cobra Kai' crane kicks YouTube Premium

(Image credit: Sony)

YouTube Premium's loss is soon to be Netflix's gain. The streaming giant has just poached the Karate Kid TV sequel spin-off, Cobra Kai, from Google's paid-for TV platform.

The first two seasons of the Karate Kid TV show will join Netflix this year, following their debut on YouTube Premium (previously known as YouTube Red), with an already-filmed third season hitting Netflix shortly after.

It's a big loss for YouTube Premium, being its only notable scripted TV success, as the service slowly moves away from being a traditional TV streaming alternative.

Fight club

Picking up the series makes perfect sense for Netflix, as service that deals as much in nostalgia as it does all-new content – many of the original cast return for the series.

“The appeal of 'The Karate Kid' saga is timeless and 'Cobra Kai' picks up right where it left off without missing a beat," said Brian Wright, Netflix's vice president of original series.

"The rivalry between Daniel and Johnny is one for the ages, and the show has a ton of heart and is a lot of fun. We can’t wait to introduce a new generation of fans to 'Cobra Kai' and are thrilled to be its new home around the world.”

Cobra Kai flips the conflict of the original film on its head. Following on 30 years after the All Valle Karate Tournament, Ralph Macchio's Daniel LaRusso is more of a 'bad-guy' figure, struggling without his former mentor Mr Miyagi. It's William Zabka's Johnny Lawrence, the once bullying leader of the Cobra Kai team, who is now looking to make peace with his own karate dojo.

Gerald Lynch

Gerald is Editor-in-Chief of iMore.com. Previously he was the Executive Editor for TechRadar, taking care of the site's home cinema, gaming, smart home, entertainment and audio output. He loves gaming, but don't expect him to play with you unless your console is hooked up to a 4K HDR screen and a 7.1 surround system. Before TechRadar, Gerald was Editor of Gizmodo UK. He is also the author of 'Get Technology: Upgrade Your Future', published by Aurum Press.

Read more
The Cobra Kai line up in Cobra Kai season 6 part 3
Cobra Kai season 6 part 3: release date, trailer, confirmed cast, plot synopsis, and more news about the hit Netflix show's final chapter
The cast of Netflix's limited series Zero Day, starring Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, and Connie Britton
3 new Netflix shows I can't wait to watch in February 2025
A collage image showing stills from the movie The Gorge, season 3 of The White Lotus and season 6 part 3 of Cobra Kai.
7 new movies and TV shows to stream on Netflix, Prime Video, Max, and more this weekend (February 14)
Mia Goth in character for promo for Ti West's slasher Pearl
Everything leaving Netflix in February 2025
Two animated characters look at a starry night sky
I’m a huge anime fan – here’s why you should ditch Netflix for Crunchyroll in 2025
A hand holding a remote pointing at Netflix on TV, next to a shot from Severance on Apple TV Plus
Netflix prices are becoming a joke – here's the one streaming tactic I'm using to survive 2025
Latest in Netflix
Cristin Milioti in Black Mirror season 7
Netflix launches trailer for Black Mirror season 7, giving us a look at its first-ever sequel episode and an unexpected returning character
Nicole Kidman wears a blue blouse with her arms crossed.
Netflix might be renewing The Perfect Couple and Beauty in Black for season 2, but I don’t get why when it’s canceled shows with poorer ratings
Susan holding her baby in Toxic Town.
Netflix's #3 show has a flawless 100% on Rotten Tomatoes – here are 3 more powerful dramas to watch after Toxic Town
Devil May Cry's Dante has his back to the camera, holding onto a large sword
Netflix's official Devil May Cry trailer features music from my favorite alternative rock band and it's taken me on a serious nostalgia trip
Joe Goldberg and Kate Lockwood sitting at a table and looking at the camera in You season 5.
Netflix releases a killer new trailer for You season 5 but my favorite character is missing from Joe's final chapter
Michelle and Kid Cosmo watching a video projected onto a screen in Netflix's The Electric State movie
'We could not achieve that with puppetry or animatronics': Joe and Anthony Russo didn't want to build real-life robots for The Electric State for two big reasons
Latest in News
Google Gemini Flash 2.0 Images
I tried Gemini's new AI image generation tool - here are 5 ways to get the best art from Google's Flash 2.0
An image of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra from a hands-on event
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could resurrect an intriguing camera feature
Eurocom Raptor X18
At $15,000, this massive 256GB RAM laptop makes Apple's MacBook Pro look affordable, tiny and very, very slow
Cristin Milioti in Black Mirror season 7
Netflix launches trailer for Black Mirror season 7, giving us a look at its first-ever sequel episode and an unexpected returning character
A graphic of the PC Gaming Show
Get ready for a bounty of PC games on June 8, as the PC Gaming show is back
A close up of The Daily podcast from Pocket Casts' web page
‘Podcasting shouldn’t be locked behind walled gardens’: Pocket Casts slams Spotify and makes its web player free to all