5 Best Entertainment Stocks for 2026 and How to Invest | The Motley Fool
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5 Best Entertainment Stocks for 2026 and How to Invest
ByKeith Noonan – Updated Aug 24, 2026 at 10:46 AM EST | Fact-checked by Frank Bass
+Fool.comon
Key Points
- Global middle class growth boosts demand for entertainment stocks.
- Entertainment industry resilience helps investors during economic downturns.
- Long-term buy-and-hold strategy in leading entertainment firms offers profit potential.
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Most Active StocksDaily Stock GainersDaily Stock Losers
| Name and ticker | Market capMarket cap calculated using publicly traded shares outstanding only. Does not include unlisted, private, or dual-class non-traded shares. Implied market cap may vary. | Current price | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) | $186.1 billion | $110.61 | Entertainment |
| Take-Two Interactive Software (NASDAQ:TTWO) | $44.8 billion | $233.50 | Entertainment |
| Nintendo (OTC:NTDOY) | $62.5 billion | $13.82 | Entertainment |
| Tencent (OTC:TCEHY) | $523.9 billion | $57.09 | Interactive Media and Services |
| Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) | $331.4 billion | $80.01 | Entertainment |
Data as of Aug 24, 2026. Showing 5 of 5 total entries.
Walt Disney
Today’s Change
(2.63%) $2.83
Current Price
$110.61
Key Data Points
Market Cap
$186BMarket cap calculated using publicly traded shares outstanding only. Does not include unlisted, private, or dual-class non-traded shares. Implied market cap may vary.
Day’s Range
$108.08 – $111.87
52wk Range
$92.19 – $119.78
Volume
11.8M
Avg Vol
10.5M
Gross Margin
32.19%
Dividend Yield
1.39%
Disney has a collection of entertainment franchises and a library of classic films and television series that trounce those of every other company on the planet. The company showed the enduring value of its properties amid the COVID-19 pandemic with the explosive growth of its Disney+ streaming service.
The rapid rise of Disney+ has highlighted its long-term growth potential in the streaming space and the value of the company’s franchises. Disney’s other business segments — such as its film business and theme parks — also appear to be recovering from pandemic-related pressures.
With Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Pixar catalog, and a long list of others, the House of Mouse has more valuable entertainment properties than it’s possible to mention here. Disney’s assets enable it to adapt and thrive amid significant changes in the entertainment landscape.
NASDAQ: TTWO
Take-Two Interactive Software
Today’s Change
(-2.55%) $-6.12
Current Price
$233.50
Key Data Points
Market Cap
$45BMarket cap calculated using publicly traded shares outstanding only. Does not include unlisted, private, or dual-class non-traded shares. Implied market cap may vary.
Day’s Range
$232.71 – $242.37
52wk Range
$187.63 – $265.94
Volume
2.6M
Avg Vol
2.6M
Gross Margin
54.56%
The global video game industry has enjoyed tremendous growth over the past decade, and Take-Two Interactive has been one of the medium’s biggest winners. The publisher is best known for series including Grand Theft Auto, NBA 2K, and Red Dead Redemption. It also has a deep catalog of other gaming franchises capable of delivering solid performances.
After establishing a leading position in console and PC gaming, Take-Two has also made growth in mobile a key priority. Thanks in part to its acquisition of mobile-game leader Zynga, the company has reached an even wider audience.
In addition to bringing new gaming properties under its corporate umbrella, the Zynga acquisition is allowing Take-Two to bridge more of its own properties to smartphone and tablet platforms and get the most out of its franchise catalog. The company has shown it can sustain hit series and develop fresh ones, and the big mobile-gaming push could help take the business to the next level.
3. Nintendo
OTC: NTDOY
Nintendo
Today’s Change
(1.99%) $0.27
Current Price
$13.82
Key Data Points
Market Cap
$62BMarket cap calculated using publicly traded shares outstanding only. Does not include unlisted, private, or dual-class non-traded shares. Implied market cap may vary.
Day’s Range
$13.69 – $13.84
52wk Range
$10.18 – $24.29
Volume
1.1M
Avg Vol
3.7M
Gross Margin
44.38%
Dividend Yield
2.51%
Nintendo is a giant in the video game industry. The company created legendary characters, including Mario, Luigi, Link, Zelda, Donkey Kong, Samus, and many more. It releases massively popular game series, includingPokémon, Mario Kart, and Super Smash Bros., and has a decades-long track record of success in the highly competitive video game industry.
In addition to releasing hugely popular software, the company has a hardware business that is foundational to its success. The company’s Switch platform is one of the best-selling video game systems of all time, and the Switch 2 console that it released in 2025 is off to a strong start.
Beyond its core video game business, Nintendo is also expanding its much-loved franchises into new media and experience categories. The company’s Super Mario movies were box office hits, and it has also partnered with Comcast (CMCSA+0.63%) to bring its characters to Universal parks.
OTC: TCEHY
Tencent
Today’s Change
(-1.69%) $-0.98
Current Price
$57.09
Key Data Points
Market Cap
$524BMarket cap calculated using publicly traded shares outstanding only. Does not include unlisted, private, or dual-class non-traded shares. Implied market cap may vary.
Day’s Range
$56.28 – $57.20
52wk Range
$52.84 – $87.68
Volume
4.4M
Avg Vol
4M
Gross Margin
55.49%
Dividend Yield
1.16%
NASDAQ: NFLX
Netflix
Today’s Change
(0.53%) $0.42
Current Price
$80.01
Key Data Points
Market Cap
$331BMarket cap calculated using publicly traded shares outstanding only. Does not include unlisted, private, or dual-class non-traded shares. Implied market cap may vary.
Day’s Range
$79.02 – $80.62
52wk Range
$65.08 – $126.71
Volume
20.8M
Avg Vol
42.6M
Gross Margin
49.53%
Netflix is the leader in subscription-based streaming video services and is estimated to have roughly 325 million global subscribers. The company pioneered its service category and has built a large library of original content, in addition to its rotating selection of licensed television shows and movies.
The company enjoys strong brand strength, and it’s been able to raise subscription prices and implement advertising on its platform without seeing a meaningful erosion of customer loyalty. The streaming leader’s opportunity to grow through advertising still seems to be significantly underappreciated.
Netflix is also making moves to expand sports programming offerings on its streaming platform. Live sports broadcasts can be massive draws and generate huge ad revenue, but it’s an area where the company hasn’t been particularly competitive. With Netflix seizing on live sports as a major growth opportunity, the company should be able to strengthen the value of its platform and create new
Despite the company’s strengths and generally strong business results, Netflix stock has been under pressure due to decelerating sales growth and competition concerns. With the stock down sharply from its highs, Netflix could be a worthwhile buy for investors seeking exposure to the entertainment industry.
How to buy entertainment stocks
- Open your brokerage account: Log in to your brokerage account where you handle your investments. If you don’t have one yet, take a look at our favorite brokers and trading platforms to find the right one for you.
- Search for the stock: Enter the ticker or company name into the search bar to bring up the stock’s trading page.
- Decide how many shares to buy: Consider your investment goals and how much of your portfolio you want to allocate to this stock.
- Select order type: Choose between a market order to buy at the current price or a limit order to specify the maximum price you’re willing to pay.
- Submit your order: Confirm the details and submit your buy order.
- Review your purchase: Check your portfolio to ensure your order was filled as expected and adjust your investment strategy accordingly.
Benefits and risks of investing in entertainment stocks
- Strong entertainment companies often have popular franchises and distribution channels that give them advantages over competitors.
- The best entertainment companies have consistent sales and earnings growth.
- They perform well on industry-specific metrics such as subscriber growth, revenue per user, and the reception of key releases and service updates.
- Entertainment companies tend to be hit-driven businesses, meaning sales and earnings trends can live or die on the success of crucial releases.
Methodology: How these stocks were chosen
The stocks profiled as top entertainment stocks to buy in this article were chosen based on their strong competitive positioning in their respective corners of the industry. Each company has a capable management team, valuable intellectual properties, and decades of proven execution. Except for Take-Two Interactive, each included company consistently posts profits — and Take-Two was still included because its performance tends to be more cyclical, tied to the development cycles and releases of its flagship titles.
Should you invest in entertainment stocks?
Many top entertainment companies also operate in other businesses, so it’s important to consider how those operations affect overall performance. Entertainment consumption trends are in flux, and user-generated and AI-generated social media content are surging in the attention economy. Determine whether the underlying businesses of entertainment stocks are capable of capitalizing on or weathering these trends.
Consider the strength of the entertainment company’s franchise properties, as well as the role of third-party-licensed content in the company’s sales, earnings, and competitive moat. Access to valuable licensed content can be a major strength, but a heavy reliance on third-party licenses can create potential fault lines for a business. Taking these factors into consideration can help you determine whether investing in entertainment stocks makes sense for you.
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Investing in entertainment stocks FAQ
As the global middle class expands, demand for entertainment products and services is rising — and investing in entertainment stocks could be a great way to benefit from the trend. The entertainment industry has also historically been relatively resilient, even during periods of economic uncertainty and downturn.
Entertainment stocks are shares of companies that derive a substantial portion of their revenue from the entertainment industry. These companies may operate in other industries and sectors too, but entertainment stands out as core to their operations. Investors who take a buy-and-hold approach to entertainment leaders could profit significantly over time.
5 best entertainment stocks for 2026 and how to invest
Entertainment stocks offer investors ways to profit from content and technology trends with strong long-term demand outlooks. Below, we’ll take a look at why Disney (DIS+2.63%), Take-Two Interactive (TTWO-2.55%), Nintendo (NTDOY+1.99%), Tencent (TCEHY-1.69%), and Netflix (NFLX+0.53%) stand out as appealing investment opportunities in the space.
Tencent is China’s biggest technology and media conglomerate. The company is the world’s largest video game publisher by revenue and owns huge franchises, including League of Legends, Honor of Kings, and Clash of Clans. The company also holds substantial equity stakes in many leading gaming companies, including Fortnite creator Epic Games. Tencent will likely continue to acquire companies that further strengthen its leadership position in interactive entertainment.
Video games aren’t the only segment of the entertainment sector in which Tencent participates. The company has its own movie production studio and a wide range of investments across the film and music industries. It also owns stakes in several social media platforms, including Snap (SNAP+5.53%), Huya (HUYA-1.38%), and Reddit (RDDT-0.39%).
Tencent has a diverse collection of businesses, all of which offer growth drivers in their own right and strengthen the company’s entertainment businesses. Tencent owns Weixin and WeChat — social media platforms that are also a messaging service, e-commerce platform, payments processor, and more. Weixin and WeChat have roughly 1.4 billion active users, helping Tencent monetize its own entertainment content and generate revenue from third-party entertainment companies.
