Streaming Stocks Rise as Ad Dollars Shift from Traditional TV
Streaming services are shifting from subscriber growth to engagement, advertising dollars, and content discovery. Nielsen reported that streaming captured 48.2% of U.S. ad-supported TV viewing in Q2 2026.
This trend has led Alphabet's GOOGL, Amazon's AMZN, and Sony's SONY stocks to gain attention as streaming becomes a broader ecosystem spanning distribution, advertising, premium programming, and direct-to-consumer services.
Amazon's Prime Video has evolved into an entertainment platform with originals, licensed programming, live sports, rentals, and more than 900 U.S. FAST channels. The business is growing, profitable, and still early, according to CEO Andy Jassy.
Sony's streaming journey began with SonyLIV in India and the acquisition of Crunchyroll, which has surpassed 21 million paid subscribers by March 2026. Crunchyroll combines subscriber momentum, low penetration, and a broad international catalog, making it an attractive investment opportunity for SONY.