As “Cobra Kai” comes to an end after a six-season run and 65 episodes, it stands as one of the most successful examples of the “Netflix bump,” where the power of the leading streaming service’s platform gave a series a new lease on life and propelled it into the cultural zeitgeist.
Back when the series made its debut, “Cobra Kai” — a legacy sequel to the 1984 hit “The Karate Kid” that explored the life of the original film’s villain Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) — served as one of the crown jewels in YouTube’s push into original content via YouTube Premium (formerly YouTube Red).