Walt Disney (DIS -0.45%), Sony (SONY 0.37%), and Viacom's (VIAB) Paramount Pictures spent big to advertise their next round of blockbusters-in-the-making during the Super Bowl. Who won the trailer wars? Host Ellen Bowman puts these questions to Fool analysts Nathan Alderman and Tim Beyers in this week's episode of "1-Up on Wall Street," The Motley Fool's Web show in which we talk about the big-money names behind your favorite movies, toys, video games, comics, and more.
Paramount teased Transformers: Age of Extinction. Sony released a new trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man 2, while Disney's Marvel Studios brought fans more of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Tim and Nathan agree that, of the three, The Winter Soldier appears to do the best job of combining effective storytelling and commercial appeal.
YouTube numbers back up their thesis. As of this writing, fans have watched the new trailer for Captain America: The Winter Soldier more than 12 million times. By contrast, fans have watched the Age of Extinction trailer 6.8 million times and Spidey's Super Bowl spot 2.9 million times. Marvel Studios and Disney appear to have yet another winner on its hands.
Meanwhile, RadioShack (RSHCQ) earned raves for a deprecating Super Bowl spot that acknowledged its "lost-in-the'80s" reputation. Tim and Nathan say that, while the ad resonates, there's little proof that RadioShack has figured out how to sustainably profit in a market where even Best Buy has trouble competing with Amazon.com. Margins have declined sharply every year since 2009 as the retailer has struggled to find a defensible niche.
Now it's your turn to weigh in. Which of the various trailers thrilled you most? Which entertainment stock do you think is the best to buy right now? Please watch the video to get the full story, and be sure to check back here often for more "1-Up on Wall Street" segments.
Chris Evans plays a solemn, conflicted hero in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Credit: Marvel Studios.
