Entertainment stocks can be a playful addition to any portfolio, representing the best of companies Americans use to tune in, tune out and otherwise amuse ourselves. They can be lucrative for investors, though vet your options as the continuing pandemic drags down consumer trends.
What are entertainment stocks?
Entertainment stocks are from companies that fall within the entertainment industry — a subsector of the communication services sector as defined by the Global Industry Classification Standard.
These stocks belong to companies that keep the world entertained, spanning forms of at-home and on-the-go amusement across:
Film
Music
Radio
Television
Video games
Film studios, broadcasting companies, event venues, cable and satellite companies, movie theaters and even bowling alleys and bounce houses all fall within the market’s entertainment sector.
How to invest in the entertainment sector
Invest in the entertainment industry by purchasing stocks or exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Individual stocks from companies in the entertainment sector offer the opportunity for a targeted investment — you can pick and choose which businesses you want to back. They can be profitable but volatile, with price fluctuations throughout the trading day.
ETFs offer a more diversified investment opportunity, because they track collections of stocks and offer exposure to a wider swath of companies. They come with greater stability than stocks, but also expense ratios that typically range from 0.03% to 2.5%.
Whether you opt for stocks, ETFs or a combination of the two, you’ll need a brokerage account to invest:
Pick a platform. Compare trading platform features and fees to find a broker that can help you reach your investment goals.
Open an account. Complete applications for web-based brokerages online with basic personal information, like your residential address and Social Security number.
Fund your account. Transfer funds from an external bank account to begin trading.
Select your securities. Filter stocks and ETFs by sector or industry to narrow down your options.
Place an order. Once you’ve found a stock or ETF to purchase, submit your order.
Monitor your investments. Log in to your brokerage account to stay on top of your investments.
We evaluate stock trading platforms against a range of metrics that include fees, ease of use, available securities and advanced tools to meet specific investor needs. We encourage you to compare stock platforms to find one that's best for your particular budget and goals.
Our pick for beginners. We chose Robinhood for this category because it offers commission-free trading and is easy to use. You can search for stocks by company name, and the mobile app is clean and intuitive to use.
Our pick for building a portfolio. We chose SoFi for this category because it offers both commission-free stocks and a free robo-advisor. That means you can open an active investing account to pick and choose companies you want to invest in, and open a robo-advisor account to help you build a portfolio and manage how much risk you take on.
Our pick for social investors.We selected Public for this category because its beginner-friendly platform allows users to share strategies, trends and tips with other users. Small-quantity investors can purchase fractional shares for as little as $5. Limited research tools may frustrate advanced investors.
What stocks are in the entertainment sector?
Select a company to learn more about what they do and how their stock performs, including market capitalization, the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio and dividend yield. While this list includes a selection of the most well-known and popular stocks, it doesn't include every stock available.
Company summary
AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, involved in the theatrical exhibition business. The company owns, operates, or has interests in theatres. As of March 12, 2021, it operated approximately 1000 theatres and 10,700 screens in the United States and internationally. The company was founded in 1920 and is headquartered in Leawood, Kansas.
CBS Corporation operates as a mass media company worldwide. The company operates in four segments: Entertainment, Cable Networks, Publishing, and Local Media. The Entertainment segment distributes a schedule of news and public affairs broadcasts, and sports and entertainment programming; produces, acquires, and/or distributes programming, including series, specials, news, and public affairs; operates online content networks for information and entertainment; produces theatrical films; and digital streaming services. This segment also operates CBS Sports Network, a 24-hour cable program service that provides college sports and related content. The Cable Networks segment offers subscription program services, such as original series, theatrical feature films, documentaries, boxing and other sports-related programming, and special events, as well as a direct-to-consumer digital streaming subscription. This segment also operates Smithsonian Networks, which operates a channel featuring cultural, historical, scientific, and educational programs. The Publishing segment publishes and distributes adult and children's consumer books in printed, digital, and audio formats; develops special imprints and publishes titles based on the products of the company, as well as that of third parties; and distributes products for other publishers. This segment also delivers content; and promotes its products on its Websites, social media, and general Internet sites, as well as those related to individual titles. The Local Media segment owns 29 broadcast television stations; and operates local Websites, including content from its television stations. The company was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Historical performance
Stock information
Market capitalization: $18644541440
P/E ratio: 2.7717
PEG ratio: 0.84
Dividend yield: 0.0177%
Company summary
Cinemark Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the motion picture exhibition business. As of March 4, 2021, it operated 531 theatres with 5,958 screens in the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Bolivia, Curacao, and Paraguay. The company was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Plano, Texas.
Comcast Corporation operates as a media and technology company worldwide. It operates through Cable Communications, Cable Networks, Broadcast Television, Filmed Entertainment, Theme Parks, and Sky segments. The Cable Communications segment offers cable services, including high-speed Internet, video, voice, wireless, and security and automation services to residential and business customers under the Xfinity brand, as well as sells advertising. The Cable Networks segment operates national cable networks that provide various entertainment, news and information, and sports content; regional sports and news networks; international cable networks; and various digital properties, including brand-aligned Websites, as well as engages in the cable television studio production operations. The Broadcast Television segment operates NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, NBC and Telemundo local broadcast television stations, broadcast television studio production operations, and various digital properties. The Filmed Entertainment segment produces, acquires, markets, and distributes filmed entertainment under the Universal Pictures, Illumination, DreamWorks Animation, and Focus Features names. It also develops, produces, and licenses stage plays; and distributes filmed entertainment produced by third parties. The Theme Parks segment operates Universal theme parks in Orlando, Florida; Hollywood, California; and Osaka, Japan. The Sky segment offers direct-to-consumer services, such as video, high-speed Internet, voice, and wireless phone services; and content services comprising operating entertainment networks, the Sky News broadcast network, and Sky Sports networks. The company also owns the Philadelphia Flyers, as well as the Wells Fargo Center arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and provides streaming service, such as Peacock. Comcast Corporation was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Discovery, Inc., a media company, provides content across various distribution platforms in approximately 50 languages worldwide. It operates in two segments, U.S. Networks and International Networks. The company owns and operates various television networks under the Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, Science, MotorTrend, Discovery en Español, Discovery Familia, Eurosport, TVN, Discovery Kids, Discovery Family, American Heroes Channel, Destination America, Discovery Life, DIY Network, Cooking Channel, Great American Country, ID, the Oprah Winfrey Network, Eurosport, DMAX, and Discovery Home & Health brands, as well as other regional television networks. Its content spans genres, including survival, natural history, exploration, sports, general entertainment, home, food, travel, heroes, adventure, crime and investigation, health, and kids. The company also operates production studios that develop and produce content; and digital products and Websites. It provides content through various distribution platforms comprising pay-television, free-to-air and broadcast television, authenticated GO applications, digital distribution arrangements, content licensing agreements, and direct-to-consumer subscriptions, as well as various platforms that include brand-aligned Websites, online streaming, mobile devices, video on demand, and broadband channels. The company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Fox Corporation operates as a news, sports, and entertainment company in the United States. The company operates through Cable Network Programming; Television; and Other, Corporate and Eliminations segments. The Cable Network Programming segment produces and licenses news, business news, and sports content for distribution primarily through cable television systems, direct broadcast satellite operators, telecommunications companies, and online multi-channel video programming distributors. It operates FOX News, a national cable news channel; FOX Business, a business news national cable channel; FS1 and FS2 multi-sport national networks; FOX Sports Racing, a video programming service that comprises motor sports programming; and FOX Soccer Plus video programming network for live soccer and rugby competitions; FOX Deportes, a Spanish-language sports programming service; and Big Ten Network, a national video programming service. The Television segment acquires, produces, markets, and distributes broadcast network programming. It operates The FOX Network, a national television broadcast network that broadcasts sports programming and entertainment; MyNetworkTV, a programming distribution service; Fox Alternative Entertainment, a full-service production studio that develops and produces unscripted and alternative programming; Bento Box, which develops and produces animated programing; and Tubi, a free advertising-supported video-on-demand service. This segment owns and operates 29 broadcast television stations. The Other, Corporate and Eliminations segment owns the FOX Studios lot that provides production and post-production services, including 15 sound stages, 4 scoring and mixing stages, 2 broadcast studios, theaters and screening rooms, editing bays, and other production facilities in Los Angeles, California. The company was incorporated in 2018 and is based in New York, New York.
IMAX Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an entertainment technology company worldwide. It offers cinematic solution comprising proprietary software, theater architecture, intellectual property, and specialized equipment. The company offers IMAX Digital Re-Mastering (DMR), a proprietary technology that digitally enhances the image resolution, visual clarity, and sound quality of motion picture films for projection on IMAX screens; IMAX theater systems to exhibitor customers through sales, leases, and joint revenue sharing arrangements; digital projection systems; a digital theater control systems; and a digital audio systems. It also provides proactive and emergency maintenance services to the IMAX network; licenses film content and distributes large-format documentary films; film post-production and quality control services for large-format films, and digital post-production services; owns and operates IMAX theaters; and rents 2D and 3D large-format film and digital cameras, as well as offers production advice and technical assistance services to documentary and Hollywood filmmakers. The company markets its theater systems through a direct sales force and marketing staff to science and natural history museums, zoos, aquaria, and other educational and cultural centers, as well as theme parks, private home theaters, tourist destination sites, fairs, and expositions. It owns or otherwise has rights to trademarks and trade names, which include IMAX, IMAX Dome, IMAX 3D, IMAX 3D Dome, Experience It in IMAX, The IMAX Experience, An IMAX Experience, An IMAX 3D Experience, IMAX DMR, DMR, IMAX nXos, and Films To The Fullest. As of December 31, 2020, the company had a network of 1,650 IMAX theater systems comprising 1,562 commercial multiplexes, 12 commercial destinations, and 76 institutional facilities operating in 81 countries and territories. IMAX Corporation was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Mississauga, Canada.
Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. operates as a live entertainment company. It operates through Concerts, Ticketing, and Sponsorship & Advertising segments. The Concerts segment promotes live music events in its owned or operated venues, and in rented third-party venues; operates and manages music venues; produces music festivals; creates associated content; and offers management and other services to artists. The Ticketing segment manages the ticketing operations, including the provision of ticketing software and services to clients for tickets and event information through its primary websites livenation.com and ticketmaster.com as well as provides ticket resale services. This segment sells tickets for its events, as well as for third-party clients in various live event categories, such as arenas, stadiums, amphitheaters, music clubs, concert promoters, professional sports franchises and leagues, college sports teams, performing arts venues, museums, and theaters through websites, mobile apps, ticket outlets, and telephone call centers. The Sponsorship & Advertising segment sells international, national, and local sponsorships and placement of advertising, including signage, promotional programs, rich media offering that include advertising related with live streaming and music-related content; and ads across its distribution network of venues, events, and websites. This segment also manages the development of strategic sponsorship programs, as well as develops, books, and produces custom events or programs for specific brands. As of December 31, 2020, it owned, operated, or leased 155 entertainment venues in North America and 76 entertainment venues internationally. The company was formerly known as Live Nation, Inc. and changed its name to Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. in January 2010. Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California.
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. provides satellite radio services on a subscription fee basis in the United States. It broadcasts music, sports, entertainment, comedy, talk, news, traffic, and weather channels, including various music genres, such as rock, pop and hip-hop, country, dance, jazz, Latin, and classical; live play-by-play sports from various leagues and colleges; various talk and entertainment channels for a range of audiences; national, international, and financial news; and limited run channels. The company also provides streaming service that includes a range of music and non-music channels, and podcasts, as well as channels that are not available on its satellite radio service; and offers applications to allow consumers to access its streaming service on smartphones, tablets, computers, home devices, and other consumer electronic equipment. In addition, it distributes satellite radios through automakers and retailers, as well as its website. Further, the company provides location-based services through two-way wireless connectivity, including safety, security, convenience, remote vehicles diagnostic, maintenance and data, and stolen or parked vehicle locator services. Additionally, it offers satellite television services, which offer music channels on the DISH Network satellite television service as a programming package; Travel Link, a suite of data services that include graphical weather, fuel prices, sports schedule and scores, and movie listings; and real-time traffic and weather services. The company was incorporated in 2013 and is headquartered in New York, New York. Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation.
Sony Group Corporation designs, develops, produces, and sells electronic equipment, instruments, and devices for the consumer, professional, and industrial markets worldwide. The company distributes software titles and add-on content through digital networks; network services related to game, video, and music content; and home and portable game consoles, packaged software, and peripheral devices. It also develops, produces, markets, and distributes recorded music; publishes music; and produces and distributes animation titles, game applications based on animation titles, and various services for music and visual products. In addition, the company produces, acquires, and distributes live-action and animated motion pictures for theatrical release, as well as scripted and animated series, unscripted reality or light entertainment, daytime serials, game shows, television movies, and miniseries and other television programs; operates a visual effects and animation unit; manages a studio facility; and operates television and digital networks, and post-production facilities. Further, it researches, develops, designs, produces, markets, distributes, sells, and services televisions, and video and sound products; interchangeable lens, compact digital, and consumer and professional video cameras; projectors and medical equipment; mobile phones, tablets, accessories, and applications; and metal oxide semiconductor image sensors, charge-coupled devices, large-scale integration systems, and other semiconductors. Additionally, it offers Internet broadband network services; creates and distributes content for PCs and mobile phones; and provides life and non-life insurance, banking, and other services, as well as batteries, recording media, and storage media products. The company was formerly known as Sony Corporation and changed its name to Sony Group Corporation in April 2021. Sony Group Corporation was incorporated in 1946 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
Historical performance
Stock information
Market capitalization: $129214529536
P/E ratio: 13.5165
PEG ratio: 1.9414
Dividend yield: 0.0044%
Company summary
The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an entertainment company worldwide. The company's Media Networks segment operates domestic cable networks under the Disney, ESPN, Freeform, FX, and National Geographic brands; and television broadcast network under the ABC brand, as well as eight domestic television stations. This segment is also involved in the television production and distribution. Its Parks, Experiences and Products segment operates theme parks and resorts, such as Walt Disney World Resort in Florida; Disneyland Resort in California; Disneyland Paris; Hong Kong Disneyland Resort; and Shanghai Disney Resort; Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, National Geographic Expeditions, and Adventures by Disney and Aulani, a Disney resort and spa in Hawaii, as well as licenses its intellectual property to a third party for the operations of the Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan. The company's Studio Entertainment segment produces and distributes motion pictures under the Walt Disney Pictures, Twentieth Century Studios, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Pixar, Searchlight Pictures, and Blue Sky Studios banners; develops, produces, and licenses live entertainment events; produces and distributes music; and provides post-production services through Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound. Its Direct-To-Consumer & International segment operates international television networks and channels comprising Disney, ESPN, Fox, National Geographic, and Star; direct-to-consumer videos streaming services consisting of Disney+/Disney+Hotstar, ESPN+, and Hulu; and operates branded apps and Websites, such as Disney Movie Club and Disney Digital Network, as well as provides streaming technology support services. The company was founded in 1923 and is based in Burbank, California.
fuboTV Inc. operates a live TV streaming platform for live sports events, news, and entertainment content in the United States and Europe. Its fuboTV platform allows customers to access content through streaming devices, as well as on SmartTVs, computers, mobile phones, and tablets. The company is headquartered in New York, New York.
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation owns and operates regional theme and waterparks under the Six Flags name. Its parks offer various thrill rides, water attractions, themed areas, concerts and shows, restaurants, game venues, and retail outlets. As of March 18, 2021, the company operated 26 parks in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The company was formerly known as Six Flags, Inc. and changed its name to Six Flags Entertainment Corporation in April 2010. Six Flags Entertainment Corporation was founded in 1961 and is based in Arlington, Texas.
Netflix, Inc. provides entertainment services. It offers TV series, documentaries, and feature films across various genres and languages. The company provides members the ability to receive streaming content through a host of Internet-connected devices, including TVs, digital video players, television set-top boxes, and mobile devices. It also provides DVDs-by-mail membership services. The company has approximately 204 million paid members in 190 countries. Netflix, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California.
Major funds that track the entertainment sector include:
Global X Video Games & Esports ETF (HERO)
Invesco Dynamic Leisure and Entertainment ETF (PEJ)
Invesco Dynamic Media ETF (PBS)
iShares Evolved U.S. Media and Entertainment ETF (IEME)
VanEck Vectors Gaming ETF (BJK)
VanEck Vectors Video Gaming and eSports ETF (ESPO)
Why invest in the entertainment sector?
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies in the entertainment industry are thriving — especially streaming and video game platforms. The US happens to be home to one of the biggest, most prolific film industries in the world, generating a whopping $35.3 billion in revenue in 2019, according to Statista. In fact, movie ticket sales crossed the $1 billion mark in 2019 despite burgeoning competition from streaming services.
The movie industry isn’t the only subcategory of the entertainment sector with a strong performance history. Combined revenue from the global PC and mobile gaming markets for 2020 is estimated at nearly $114 billion, says Statista. Entertainment may be a consumer luxury — but it’s a profitable luxury.
Plus, entertainment stocks offer investors the opportunity to back companies they interact with every day — and there’s something to be said for investing in what you know
What unique risks does the entertainment sector face?
The coronavirus pandemic is having a debilitating effect on many sectors of the economy, with entertainment stocks no exception. While some companies and categories have found a profitable way to navigate the tenuous market conditions, appealing to the needs of consumers stuck at home, other companies are beginning to flounder — and even sink.
Many analysts are optimistic the economy will rebound — and with it, consumer spending habits. But there’s no guaranteed timeline for this recovery, and some companies in the entertainment industry may never bounce back.
It’s also hard to gauge the pandemic’s impact on how we prefer to be entertained. Movie theaters are crippled by the pandemic, leaving streaming services to fight tooth and nail for a slice of the market. It may be many years before we fully grasp the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the entertainment industry, or before movie theaters are packed once again.
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Bottom line
The entertainment sector has performed well in the past and gives investors a chance to back companies most of us use every day. But time will tell how the coronavirus pandemic continues shaping the way we amuse ourselves.
Explore your brokerage account options to find the account best suited to meet your investment goals.
Shannon Terrell is a senior writer for Finder who has written over 400 personal finance guides. With a focus on investments and personal finance, she breaks down jargon-laden topics to help others make informed financial decisions. She studied communications and English literature at the University of Toronto.
While $70 million is a substantial fine, it doesn’t change the overall economics of the IPO. The company generated $522 million in revenue in the first quarter of 2021.
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