For years, streaming services seemed to have one objective: Get as many subscribers as possible and worry about making money later. In 2026, “later” has arrived.
“The case has shifted from growth to margin,” says Julio Rivas, finance professor at Lipscomb University. “What matters now is revenue per user: ad tiers, price increases, bundling and discipline on content spend.”
This shift is already showing up in company metrics. For example, Netflix Inc. (ticker: NFLX) stopped reporting quarterly subscriber counts and has reduced its engagement reports. Meanwhile, its operating margin is one of the highest in the industry at just above 30%.
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Streaming companies also have more ways to make money today than they did during the great subscriber-count race.
“The investment case now for streaming stocks includes the source of revenues coming from both subscriptions and ads,” says David Kass, clinical professor of finance at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. “Companies in this industry can raise prices on ad-free tiers for customers who are less price sensitive, while offering lower prices for price-sensitive customers with ads included.”
The best streaming stocks are tapping into more diverse ways to generate this revenue, too. “The biggest opportunities will come from streaming live sports and the use of AI to lower production costs,” Kass says.
Rivas adds bundling to that list, calling it “the most effective defense against cancellation anyone has found.”
But the risks are also very present. Rivas warns that the real issue now is that “binge and cancel” is becoming the standard. Advertising can also be sensitive to economic conditions.
The moral of the story is that investors need to be discerning and remember that a packed watchlist doesn’t necessarily make for a good investment. “Popularity is an input; returns are the output,” Rivas says.
The best streaming stocks in 2026 are the ones that can turn eyeballs into sustainable profits. Here are seven of them to consider:
| Streaming Stock | Investment Case | Key Risk |
| Netflix Inc. (NFLX) | Streaming leader with strong margins and increasing ad revenue | Slowing growth could make it hard for the stock to live up to its price tag |
| Walt Disney Co. (DIS) | Improving streaming profitability with powerful franchises | Streaming is one piece of a complex media business |
| Spotify Technology SA (SPOT) | Record premium subscribers and gross margin with improving profitability | Competition and content costs could strain margin |
| Alphabet Inc. (GOOG, GOOGL) | YouTube combines massive reach with advertising and subscription revenue | Streaming is a relatively small part of the business |
| Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) | Peacock had its first profitable quarter this year | Peacock’s success doesn’t necessarily make CMCSA a strong stock |
| Fox Corp. (FOXA) | Tubi, Fox One and planned Roku acquisition could expand streaming reach | Roku deal adds complexity and regulatory risk |
| Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) | Prime Video adds streaming and live sports to a diversified growth company | Prime Video is a small component of Amazon’s overall results |
Netflix Inc. (NFLX)
If you want a pure-play streaming stock, Netflix is the obvious place to start. More importantly, it’s proving that streaming remains a profitable business. Revenue grew 13% in the second quarter to $12.6 billion, and it kept about one-third of that as profit. The company’s next act may be advertising. In the latest letter to shareholders, management said building out its ads business would continue to be a “top priority” and they expect to earn around $3 billion in ad revenue in 2026. Netflix is also branching out from traditional binge-worthy shows to video podcasts and live viewing events. NFLX shares have fallen this year, but this just makes it a more attractive entry point for a company that continues to grow revenue and profits.
Walt Disney Co. (DIS)
Disney’s investment in streaming over the past several years is starting to look a lot more magical. The company’s subscription streaming operations — which include Disney+ and Hulu, among others — generated $5.5 billion in revenue in the third quarter, an 11% increase year over year. Disney also has something competitors would love to replicate: a huge library of characters and franchises it can turn into movies and shows. Couple that with ESPN and live sports, and it’s easy to see why Disney is one of the top streaming stocks in 2026. If you want to invest in streaming demand with a more diversified business model, DIS could be the stock for you.
Spotify Technology SA (SPOT)
Streaming isn’t only for things you can watch. Spotify taps into the huge demand for on-the-go listening with music streaming. The audio giant crossed 300 million premium subscribers for the first time in the second quarter, while monthly active users climbed 12% year over year to 777 million. Gross margin also reached an all-time high on the heels of strong revenue growth. Spotify is also about more than music. The company has been expanding into podcasts and audiobooks, making it one of the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription services.
You may know Alphabet best as the company behind the Google search engine, but don’t overlook its massive streaming business hiding in plain sight: The company also owns YouTube, which generated $11.1 billion in ad revenue in the second quarter. The company also reported strong growth in YouTube subscriptions, particularly YouTube Music and Premium. These added $12.9 billion in revenues for the quarter. And recent history shows that people turn to YouTube for major world events like the FIFA World Cup, which brought 1.7 billion unique viewers. So while streaming is only one piece of the behemoth that is Alphabet, it can still be a strong, diversified play on streaming demand.
[Read: 8 Best Quantum Computing Stocks to Buy in 2026]
Comcast Corp. (CMCSA)
Comcast’s streaming service, Peacock, has spent years consuming money. In 2026 it finally reached profitability for the first time in the second quarter with $189 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA. Peacock also added 2 million paid subscribers in the quarter, largely driven by sports events and the reality series “Love Island USA.” So instead of asking how long Comcast will need to subsidize the service, investors can start asking how much Peacock might eventually contribute to the company’s bottom line. Still, “you can be right about the service and wrong about the stock,” Rivas cautions. Like many others on this list, Comcast isn’t a pure streaming stock, but Peacock’s move into the black makes it a much more interesting prospect.
Fox Corp. (FOXA)
Fox may not be the first name you think of when you think streaming, but its evolving strategy makes it one to watch. The company already owns the free, ad-supported streaming service Tubi and offers a subscription-based Fox One. Now it has agreed to acquire Roku, as of June 2026. The combination will mean it has one of the largest streaming businesses in the U.S., with the potential to reach over 100 million households. Fear not: Fox isn’t abandoning live sports and news; rather, it’s finding new ways to deliver them online. There’s still uncertainty around how the Roku acquisition will pan out, but for daring investors, this could be a prime time to jump on FOXA stock.
Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN)
Amazon has a finger in a lot of pies, but Prime Video is a big enough pie to make it a strong streaming stock in 2026. Viewers are increasingly turning to it for live sports, including NBA games and NASCAR races. Amazon’s first NBA season on Prime Video peaked at 6.5 million U.S. viewers for playoff Game 7 this year, while viewership in Europe more than doubled year over year, reaching the highest viewership yet. Amazon is also benefiting from the one-two punch of streaming and advertising. Its advertising business grew 26% year over year in the second quarter. You likely won’t be buying AMZN stock solely for Prime Video, but that diversification is part of its appeal.
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7 Best Streaming Stocks to Buy in 2026 originally appeared on usnews.com
