Streaming is not the only technological development that has impacted pop culture, as online communities and viral trends have paved the way for several small productions to earn mainstream success. Online communities have allowed small artists to make the leap from niche creator to partnering with major studios to bring their tales to wider audiences.
Here are six TV shows and movies whose viral success led to these properties hitting either streaming platforms, television, or, in some cases, the big screen.
Channel Zero
Internet campfire horror brought to life
Produced by SyFy, Channel Zero is a four-season horror anthology series that honestly focuses on a new terrifying tale each season. From cursed children’s television to infamous haunted houses, the show had a wide scope when it came to the kind of horror it explored. The series ran from 2016 to 2018 before its cancellation in 2019.
However, Channel Zero’s origins could be found online many years before SyFy would bring them to television screens. Each season pulls its narrative from “creepypastas,” viral online short horror stories spread through forums and social media. As such, Channel Zero marks a turn in the horror landscape where traditional media industries began looking to what was popular online to inform their future productions. It wouldn’t be the last, as many online creators brought their movies to life.
Backrooms
YouTube short movies brought to the big screen by its creator
Hitting theaters in May 2026, Backrooms is a dive into the horror of the uncanny and unsettling. When struggling furniture store owner Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor) stumbles upon a doorway to a dimension built on liminal spaces populated by unknowable entities. As Clark’s fascination deepens, he drags various friends, as well as his therapist Mary (Renate Reinsve) into the horror.
After director Kane Parsons gained online recognition for his online animations exploring the concepts of Backrooms and liminal spaces, studios quickly took interest in the young creative’s vision. A24 would ultimately secure the rights to bring Parson’s Backrooms YouTube series to the big screen, with the animator serving as the director. As such, not only is Backrooms an online hit that made a successful leap into the mainstream, but it did so under the direct guidance of its original creator.
Release Date
May 27, 2026
Runtime
110 minutes
Director
Kane Parsons
Hazbin Hotel
A successful multi-show franchise before its Amazon Prime show aired
Online horror media is not the only viral phenomenon to leap into the mainstream. In 2024, Amazon Prime Video released Hazbin Hotel, an adult animated series that dived feet first into hell. In a realm full of sinners, Charlie Morningstar (Erika Henningsen) sets out to offer demons a second chance through her hotel, where she attempts to guide them on a journey of redemption.
Prior to the involvement of Amazon Prime Video and A24, Hazbin Hotel existed as an online animated pilot created by Vivienne Medrano. Uploaded to YouTube in 2019, the pilot’s popularity not only led to a full series order but would also spawn the spin-off Helluva Boss, spawning a wider shared universe between the shows. At the time of writing, two seasons have been released, and it has been confirmed that Hazbin Hotel will run for five seasons.
The Amazing Digital Circus
Strong fandom demand made it mainstream
Created by Gooseworx and Glitch Productions, The Amazing Digital Circus told the tale of six humans dragged into a horrific virtual reality nightmare. The group must survive the torment of the realm’s ringmaster, Caine (Alex Rochon), as he subjects them to his twisted ideas of fun. While bright and colorful, The Amazing Digital Circus carefully strikes a balance between zany humor, thoughtful character work, and deep themes.
After becoming an online hit through YouTube uploads, Netflix would join the series as a distributor throughout its second half. Things would escalate in June 2026 as the finale, The Amazing Digital Circus: The Final Act, released in theaters across the globe for a limited run. While it may not have had the scope or industry involvement other entries on this list had, I feel that The Amazing Digital Circus’ impact is just as clear and noteworthy.
Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina
Tabletop gaming turned television hit
In 2022, Amazon Prime Video introduced audiences to the band of misfit adventurers known as Vox Machina in Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina. The four-season animated series explored the group’s adventures across the realm of Exandria, fighting dragons, despots, and demons. The Legend of Vox Machina’s success would lead to the release of Critical Role: The Mighty Nein, a spin-off that followed in the footsteps of a new band of heroes long after the events of Vox Machina’s time.
Both The Legend of Vox Machina and The Mighty Nein are adaptations of Critical Role’s first and second campaigns of popular online tabletop gaming streams. Initially, the series was conceived thanks to the support of its passionate fanbase through a Kickstarter campaign before Amazon Prime Video joined the production. However, Critical Role has more than cemented its place in the mainstream, becoming the source of not only two animated series but also several books, comics, and other side stories.
Release Date
March 12, 2015
Network
YouTube TV
Showrunner
Brandon Auman
RWBY
A online, unfinished fantasy epic
Created by visionary animator Monty Oum, RWBY took audiences to a world caught in an endless battle between the light and darkness. As monsters rise to terrorize mankind, gifted warriors (“hunters”) are taught how to defeat these creatures with unique weapons and powers. The series centers on young Ruby Rose (Lindsay Jones), Weiss Schnee (Kara Eberle), Blake Belladonna (Arryn Zech), and Yang Xiao Long (Barbara Dunkleman), as they learn to hone their skills and become the heroes that their world needs them to be.
RWBY was initially a Rooster Teeth production prior to the online production company’s acquisition by Warner Bros. and was available on the Rooster Teeth website and through Crunchyroll’s online streaming service. However, with Rooster Teeth shutting down in 2024, the property has since been acquired by Viz Media, who now handle the distribution and production of the franchise. Furthermore, a tenth season was reported to be in development in 2025, proving that Ruby’s tale isn’t finished yet.
Viral hits going mainstream is a full-circle moment
In the evolution of media and its distribution, we likely wouldn’t have the streaming landscape without the advent of sharing online video. Online video creators showed the major studios how they could evolve in the digital age by giving several mainstream services their start and showing how audiences were eager to embrace short-form video as watchers and creators themselves. As such, it only seems fitting that these creators would find themselves being embraced and bringing their work into the traditional production landscape.
It’s arguably the best for everyone. These creators are the next generation of entertainment, and audiences are hungry to find new fixations beyond well-established franchises, as seen by several YouTuber-helmed features outshining large tentpole properties in the box office in 2026, such as Backrooms and Obsession. If you want to see the future of entertainment, it is best to look at what online creators have to offer.