Streaming Wars and the Future of Entertainment – Top Stocks to Watch

Entertainment related companies control vast media empires that can influence millions of viewers.

Not only do they produce content, but they also have a significant wait in advertisement if they control their own networks. Companies like Disney can also have derivative products that can produce significant cash-flow. These companies are able to shape culture by their offerings and what they decide to produce.

The Entertainment industry has been in deep transformation for years. It’s shaken up by streaming players and technology companies that are now getting into Entertainment Production. Netflix, Apple, Amazon and the likes are now as much content producers as technology companies.

Who is building the next Media Empire?

Here is a quick overview of the top entertainment production companies stocks you should watch…à

🎬 Entertainment Production

Cineplex Inc (CGX-T)
It looks like they are going to be bought by a UK company. The stock price surged on the announcement, although there is a long period before the deal closes and Cineplex still has a chance of finding a higher bid. They offer a sustainable dividend thanks to theatre traffic remaining constant and with other additions to their revenue stream.

Cineplex Inc (CGX-T) — Stockchase

It was doing everything well and they were going to sell the business before the pandemic. Now, the business is ruined. With social distancing and lack of good movies, it is un-investable.

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Netflix Inc. (NFLX-Q)
Netflix is the online streaming service that most people know and use. It’s still one of the staples of the online streaming offerings. The space is starting to get crowded with Disney+ and Apple TV+ entering the arena. Their focus on their in-house content, which has won awards and keeps subscribers, will be key as the content war ramps up.

Netflix Inc. (NFLX-Q) — Stockchase

Their numbers are getting better and better. World dominant online entertainment streaming provider. Short term, staying at home has changed consumer habits. Longer term, depth of content will sustain subscriber momentum. Growth engine is expanding into international markets. Great for growth investors. No dividend. (Analysts’ price target is $507.39)

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Apple (AAPL-Q)
The iPhone has been a staple in Apple’s line and has been their key product for some years. Now, they are building off their hardware to move into services such as News+ and TV+. Although there isn’t a load of content, more is in their pipeline. They have the budget to make high quality shows, and their advantage of being ingrained in the Apple ecosystem could be a major advantage.

Apple (AAPL-Q) — Stockchase

As stocks slid today, there was a silver lining in some tech name. Apple rallied to finish 3% positive. We're in the middle of a tech sell-off in September. Don't sell tech now, but buy.

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Discovery Communications Inc (DISCB-Q)
A US based media company, that most people will know. Their most well-known network in their collection is probably the Discovery Channel. They also do partnerships and buy distribution rights for sports broadcasting.

Discovery Communications Inc (DISCB-Q) — Stockchase

(A Top Pick June 29/15. Down 17.81%.) The worry is that prior to buying Eurosport, they may not have the best properties and will lose some subscribers to competition, and money they get from distributors will decrease. They will be reporting shortly, and depending on that he may get back into the name.

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IMAX Corp. (IMAX-N)
The stock chart has closely resembled that of Cineplex with pressure from changing consumption patterns. People are watching movies at home rather than going to the cinema. The stock has been range-bound for some time. They are moving into China so there is a chance the stock may pick up.

IMAX Corp. (IMAX-N) — Stockchase

Cineplex has a similar chart with pressure on the cinema business. IMAX is dead money, until it breaks above $24. It's been range-bound since mid-2017. You can start a small position and see it the breakout happens.

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AT&T (T-N)
A dividend favourite that has good cash flow. They bought Time Warner, who is a major player in distribution, and production of shows and films. Analysts expect the dividends to continue and the stock is great for those looking for income.

AT&T (T-N) — Stockchase

It is heavily indebted following a couple of huge acquisitions. They really need their streaming business to catch fire. The dividend is approaching 7%, but he is starting to question its longevity. He would continue to hold it here.

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Comcast Corp (CMCSA-Q)
A cable and broadband operator. It’s the largest cable company in the U.S.. Cord-cutting is a major challenge for this company, although they are the infrastructure that supports access to online content, so the growth of streaming services can counteract the cord-cutters.

Comcast Corp (CMCSA-Q) — Stockchase

(A Top Pick Jul 08/19, Down 6%) The broadband business was seen as an infrastructure play. There were a string of broadband revenue growth cycles, but then COVID-19 hit and the theme park part of the business saw revenues fall to zero. There was a recent report suggesting splitting the business into two, and he…

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Walt Disney (DIS-N)
The Disney+ streaming service has given the stock a boost. The deal with 20th Century Fox was taken positively by analysts. It is currently trading at 20x earnings and is well-positioned to be a competitor to Netflix.

Walt Disney (DIS-N) — Stockchase

(A Top Pick Sep 05/19, Up 1%) He would buy it here as well. They made an acquisition and there is cost cutting they can do. They are well ahead of expectations in their streaming company. The parks business has to come back on because that drives a lot of their revenue. If it does,…

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CBS Corp (CBS-N)
An American mass media corporation. They are in commercial broadcasting, publishing and television production. A value play. However, they have faced headwinds from cord-cutting in cable.

CBS Corp (CBS-N) — Stockchase

(A Top Pick April 6/17, Down 25%) A likely deal with Viacom; short-term highly accretive, but long-term faces cord-cutting in cable. This is one of his worst picks.

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Live Nation Entertainment Inc. (LYV-N)
A global entertainment company that came out of a merger between Live Nation and Ticketmaster. A top concert venue and ticketing company in the world. It recently found a short term bottom.

Live Nation Entertainment Inc. (LYV-N) — Stockchase

(A Top Pick Apr 01/19, Up 15%) A global company. Artists are now making money from concerts. They own Ticketmaster and then attendees pay for parking, concessions, and lots of add-ons. It's never been cheap and it will never be cheap since it's a great operation.

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Twenty-First Century Fox Inc (FOX-Q)
A Mass media corporation that is global. They regularly buyback stocks and bring value back to investors. They have many different interesting assets, including sports so it is worth a closer look.

Twenty-First Century Fox Inc (FOX-Q) — Stockchase

The Stars Group The regulation of internet sports betting in the U.S. has been a pushback and he doesn't know how it'll resolve itself. TSGI just partnered with Fox Sports and Fox has other interesting assets, so this is a better way of playing online gambling.

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Amazon.com (AMZN-Q)
A cloud service, e-commerce, and media company that is synonymous with North American online shopping. The Prime package gives access to a host of different services, including Amazon Prime Video. The service has original content as well as some well-known shows and movies. The content is bundled with the prime subscription, which may help buoy their entertainment business.

Amazon.com (AMZN-Q) — Stockchase

(A Top Pick Aug 19/19, Up 79%) A great commercialization focus. They are betting on Jeff Bazos with Amazon too. The consumer experience focus is the heart of their success.

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