Streaming stocks are publicly traded companies that provide content directly to consumers via the internet. New streaming TV options have launched at a frenzied pace over the last few years. With many subscription internet TV services to choose from, streaming entertainment has become ubiquitous in U.S. homes.
Consumers are spending increasingly large amounts of time on streaming media, so TV providers are responding by rapidly migrating their advertising activities to those streaming platforms.
The phenomenon
The streaming phenomenon
We stream a lot of content. The average person spends three hours and six minutes streaming video content each day. Our streaming habits are generating a growing stream of revenue for content companies from subscriptions and advertising. The streaming market is on track to grow from almost $345 billion in 2025 to more than $465 billion in 2030.
That growing revenue stream is making streaming stocks look like compelling long-term investments. Here's a look at the best streaming TV service stocks to invest in.
State of Streaming
The Motley Fool surveyed 2,000 Americans about their streaming habits and preferences to find out what the future might hold for streaming services.
Top streaming services
Best streaming service stocks in 2025
There are many ways to gain portfolio exposure to streaming services. Here, we focus on the companies that are either pure plays or earn outsize returns on streaming. The best streaming entertainment stocks include:
| Name and ticker | Market cap | Dividend yield | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) | $509 billion | 0.00% | Entertainment |
| Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) | $206 billion | 0.87% | Entertainment |
| Roku (NASDAQ:ROKU) | $15 billion | 0.00% | Entertainment |
Netflix
As the company that started the streaming TV party, Netflix remains the largest pure-play streaming service, with more than 300 million subscribers. More than a third of video streamers rate Netflix as their favorite streaming platform due to its interface and user experience.
Netflix is a prolific producer of TV shows and movies, providing its growing user base with an ever-expanding content library. It has also expanded into new areas to accelerate its business growth, including live sporting events and video games. Netflix has also started allowing advertisers to tap into its engaged user base.
And the company's strategy has paid off. It's generating a growing stream of free cash flow, which is enabling it to start returning money to shareholders through a meaningful share repurchase program.
Walt Disney
The much-anticipated Disney+ streaming service was launched in late 2019, just in time for the COVID-19 pandemic. By mid-2025, Disney had 128 million Disney+ subscribers. Disney also owns streaming services Hulu (with more than 55 million subscribers) and ESPN+ in the U.S.
After years of heavy investment, Disney's direct-to-consumer streaming services are now profitable. That helped boost the entertainment, sports, and experiences giant's overall profitability.
The company's vertically integrated operations -- spanning valuable real estate assets in its theme parks, merchandising, broadcast television, and in-house video production technology -- give it plenty of cash to invest in new content. Now well established in the online TV era, Disney is poised to continue leading the streaming revolution.
Vertically Integrated
Roku
Streaming TV has been a boon for the smart TV and streaming device maker. Roku has become the largest TV platform in the U.S., distributing content via The Roku Channel and acting as a hub for households to manage all their streaming subscriptions.
The company has about 90 million active accounts worldwide, streaming a combined 35.4 billion hours of content in the second quarter of 2025 alone. Roku distributes its smart TV software and streaming devices at minimal cost, making money instead through advertising and subscription management.
Acting as the gateway into internet-based TV for tens of millions of households, Roku is a top way to invest in the growing streaming industry. Much like other high-growth streaming platforms, though, Roku has struggled with controlling its costs. Monitor the company's progress as it turns the corner on profitability to operate sustainably.
Top streaming advertisers
Best streaming advertising stocks in 2025
Advertising software firms play a crucial role in helping streaming video content creators monetize their work and capture new subscribers. They also help companies advertise on streaming media.
In this new era of abundantly available at-home entertainment, traditional media companies face new challenges. Chief among them is paying for and profiting from the production of a TV show or movie.
Streaming shows and movies are monetized via monthly subscriptions and online ads rather than global box office or cable TV advertising. As companies seek to advertise via streaming media and content producers look for businesses wanting to purchase ad time, The Trade Desk (TTD 0.73%) and PubMatic (PUBM -0.24%) are well positioned to profit.
| Name and ticker | Market cap | Dividend yield | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Trade Desk (NASDAQ:TTD) | $24 billion | 0.00% | Media |
| PubMatic (NASDAQ:PUBM) | $379 million | 0.00% | Media |
The Trade Desk
This cloud-based software company is a buy-side platform, meaning it helps automate the purchasing and management of marketing campaigns for companies that pay for advertising.
Streaming television, also known as connected TV (CTV), has been one of the fastest-growing segments for The Trade Desk. And it's likely to remain so for some time as the entertainment industry rapidly migrates to internet-based video.
PubMatic
PubMatic is a sell-side ad platform, meaning its cloud software works with content creators themselves. A sell-side platform is a counterparty to a buy-side platform, such as The Trade Desk. The company's profitability has been hit or miss in recent years, although its focus is on ramping up profit margins in the years ahead.
Other streaming companies
Media conglomerate companies offer streaming exposure, too
Telecommunications companies have also launched their own streaming services, such as Comcast's (CMCSA -0.11%) NBCUniversal, which introduced Peacock. Comcast unveiled plans to spin off its news, sports, and entertainment assets (which include USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, and others) in 2024. That will enable the company to focus on growing its broadband, wireless, streaming, studios, and theme park operations.
Many tech giants offer TV streaming subscription services as well. Amazon (AMZN 0.52%) has Prime Video and add-ons for Prime e-commerce subscribers. Apple (AAPL 0.4%) TV+ has been a steady addition to the iPhone company's Services segment. And Alphabet's (GOOG 1.44%) (GOOGL 1.27%) YouTube TV is a newer subscription service designed as an internet-based alternative to cable.
Legacy companies are also offering new ways to consume live TV over the internet as replacements for traditional cable packages and broadcast television. Paramount Global (NASDAQ:PARA) has reorganized its streaming segment, which includes Paramount+ and the ad-supported service Pluto TV.
Finally, entertainment conglomerate Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD -0.33%), formed via the merger of Discovery and WarnerMedia, offers the HBO Max streaming service.
Related investing topics
Should I invest?
Is investing in streaming services right for you?
Investors need to consider the benefits and drawbacks of streaming services before investing in the sector. Some pros of investing in streaming stocks include:
- Growth: The long-term growth potential of internet-based TV streaming is immense, with streaming services in the next decade set to recreate the way entertainment is consumed.
- Increasing profitability: Consolidation in the industry over the years has enabled a few leaders to emerge focused on profitably accumulating subscribers and bringing their ad marketplaces online.
- Ad revenue: More streaming companies are tapping into lucrative ad revenue by adding ad tiers to their streaming subscriptions.
Some of the cons include:
- Lots of competition: The streaming TV industry is a crowded space with new competitors emerging all the time.
- Not necessarily lucrative: Investors should keep in mind that not all companies in this nascent segment of the entertainment industry are profitable.
- Volatility: As a result of the sector's rapid changes, stock prices of streaming media companies can be volatile.
FAQ
FAQ about streaming stocks
What is the best streaming service to invest in?
Netflix is the best streaming stock to invest in. It's a pure play on streaming and the industry's leader. It's also growing at a solid clip while increasing its profitability and free cash flow.
What is the fastest-growing streaming company?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the fastest-growing streaming service in 2025 is Vix. The Spanish-language streaming channel owned by TelevisaUnivision grew its subscriber base by 18% over the past year to 10.5 million paying customers.
What are streaming stocks?
Streaming stocks are publicly traded companies that stream video or audio content over the internet.
Can you buy stock in HBO?
No, you can't buy stock in HBO. However, you can invest in Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns HBO.
Is Netflix stock a good investment?
Netflix has been a phenomenal investment over the years. The video streaming leader has produced a staggering 102,000% return (almost 35% annualized) since its initial public offering (IPO).
That past performance alone doesn't necessarily mean Netflix will be a good investment in the future. However, the company continues to grow its subscriber base, revenue, and earnings briskly.
That enables it to reinvest in licensing and producing the new content needed to keep its existing subscriber base happy while continuing to attract new customer sign-ups. While Netflix is unlikely to match its past level of returns in the future, it could still deliver above-average ones.
What factors influence the performance of streaming stocks?
Several factors influence the performance of streaming stocks. Changing consumer content preferences, rising costs, recessions, and other factors can affect streaming stocks.
