[ad_1] The post 7 Top Media Stocks to Buy Now appeared first on Millennial Money. It’s likely no surprise to investors that we’re in a golden age of video content. For just a few dollars a month, consumers can sign up for any number of first-class media streaming services that offer libraries of award-winning content and new original programming. Consumers are devouring video media like never before, with the average American now signed up for four streaming services. The more the merrier, right? The shift to video streaming from cable and satellite services has forced many traditional media companies to merge with others or adopt new long-term content strategies. Some media companies may be losing ground, but new leaders are emerging at a rapid pace. And all of this upheaval in the media has created some massive opportunities for investors. That’s why I’ve put together this list of top media stocks investors shouldn’t miss. The media landscape is shifting, and when the dust settles many of the companies on this list will be left dominating their respective markets. 7 Best Media Stocks These are the 7 best media stocks in the industry right now. Netflix Apple Walt Disney Company Discovery ViacomCBS Amazon.com Comcast Corporation Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX) Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX)Price: $532.28 (as of close Jul 16, 2021) document.addEventListener(“DOMContentLoaded”, function(event) { Highcharts.stockChart(“stockChart-26a92b417c6da545795914e440b646c9”,{rangeSelector:{selected:1},title:{text:”Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX)Closing Stock Price”},subtitle: {text: “30-Day Historical Data”},navigator: { enabled: false },scrollbar: { enabled: false },credits: { enabled: false },xAxis: { type: “datetime”, labels: { formatter: function() { return Highcharts.dateFormat(“%m %d, %Y”, this.value); }}},colors: [“#118b4e”],rangeSelector : { enabled: false },series:[{name:”NASDAQ:NFLX”,data:[[1624248000000,497],[1624334400000,508.82],[1624420800000,512.74],[1624507200000,518.06],[1624593600000,527.07],[1624852800000,533.03],[1624939200000,533.5],[1625025600000,528.21],[1625112000000,533.54],[1625198400000,533.98],[1625544000000,541.64],[1625630400000,535.96],[1625716800000,530.76],[1625803200000,535.98],[1626062400000,537.31],[1626148800000,540.68],[1626235200000,547.95],[1626321600000,542.95],[1626408000000,530.31],[1626667200000,532.28],],tooltip:{valueDecimals:2,xDateFormat: “%A, %B %e, %Y”}}]}); }); There’s no doubt Netflix can be credited for single-handedly starting the rush to streaming media after the company launched its video streaming service back in 2007. Netflix wins the first-mover advantage award for understanding that consumers would pay to have video content streamed to their TVs, commercial-free, and without a long-term contract commitment. In hindsight, it seems like a no-brainer move, but it was unheard of at the time it started. Fast-forward 13 years and Netflix finished 2020 with 208 million paid members and is still one of consumers’ core video streaming services year after year. The company has a mix of licensing deals to stream movies and TV shows and is constantly building its own library of original content as well. In 2020 alone the company spent nearly $12 billion on original content, from which it earned 129 Emmy nominations in 2021. Netflix’s streaming media dominance has resulted in the company’s share price skyrocketing more than 440% over the past five years. Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)Price: $142.45 (as of close Jul 16, 2021) document.addEventListener(“DOMContentLoaded”, function(event) { Highcharts.stockChart(“stockChart-3b2b8960c050717b85de6d887a904073”,{rangeSelector:{selected:1},title:{text:”Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)Closing Stock Price”},subtitle: {text: “30-Day Historical Data”},navigator: { enabled: false },scrollbar: { enabled: false },credits: { enabled: false },xAxis: { type: “datetime”, labels: { formatter: function() { return Highcharts.dateFormat(“%m %d, %Y”, this.value); }}},colors: [“#118b4e”],rangeSelector : { enabled: false },series:[{name:”NASDAQ:AAPL”,data:[[1624248000000,132.3],[1624334400000,133.98],[1624420800000,133.7],[1624507200000,133.41],[1624593600000,133.11],[1624852800000,134.78],[1624939200000,136.33],[1625025600000,136.96],[1625112000000,137.27],[1625198400000,139.96],[1625544000000,142.02],[1625630400000,144.57],[1625716800000,143.24],[1625803200000,145.11],[1626062400000,144.5],[1626148800000,145.64],[1626235200000,149.15],[1626321600000,148.48],[1626408000000,146.39],],tooltip:{valueDecimals:2,xDateFormat: “%A, %B %e, %Y”}}]}); }); Yes, Apple’s a media company now. How? When the company launched its own video streaming service, Apple TV+, just two years ago and started producing its own original TV shows and movies to put on the service, Apple clearly added “media company” to its already insanely impressive resume. If you’re wondering if content created by Apple can be any good, then go watch a few episodes of Ted Lasso and tell me you don’t love it. I’ll wait. Or you can just ask the more than 40 million Apple TV+ subscribers. Apple TV+ may not be as big as other media services out there, but Apple doesn’t need its streaming service to be as big as Netflix to benefit from the service. The company is pairing its video streaming service with its other growing list of services, including Apple Music, iCloud Storage, Apple Fitness+, and others, allowing this FAANG stock to add a growing amount of recurring revenue to its top line. Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS)Price: $0 (as of close Jul 16, 2021) document.addEventListener(“DOMContentLoaded”, function(event) { Highcharts.stockChart(“stockChart-1facbc584fefd31764e2e83a0340ad29”,{rangeSelector:{selected:1},title:{text:”Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS)Closing Stock Price”},subtitle: {text: “30-Day Historical Data”},navigator: { enabled: false },scrollbar: { enabled: false },credits: { enabled: false },xAxis: { type: “datetime”, labels: { formatter: function() { return Highcharts.dateFormat(“%m %d, %Y”, this.value); }}},colors: [“#118b4e”],rangeSelector : { enabled: false },series:[{name:”NYSE:DIS”,data:[[1623988800000,172.42],[1624248000000,173.97],[1624334400000,173.5],[1624420800000,175.33],[1624507200000,177.93],[1624593600000,178.35],[1624852800000,176.57],[1624939200000,173.93],[1625025600000,175.77],[1625112000000,177.26],[1625198400000,177.11],[1625544000000,173.69],[1625630400000,172.82],[1625716800000,172.8],[1625803200000,177.04],[1626062400000,184.38],[1626148800000,183.65],[1626235200000,183.42],[1626321600000,184.15],[1626408000000,179.31],],tooltip:{valueDecimals:2,xDateFormat: “%A, %B %e, %Y”}}]}); }); Disney is one of the biggest media companies in the world, with a content library that should make all of its rivals jealous. Not only does the company have many decades worth of Disney-branded animated movies that consumers can now stream on Disney+, but the company made two incredible media purchases over the past decade. The first was Disney’s purchase of Marvel Entertainment in 2009 for $4 billion. That gave the company the characters in the lucrative Marvel Cinematic Universe and has already helped Disney launch new shows on Disney+ based on Marvel characters. Second was Disney’s other $4 billion purchase: the media giant’s acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012. That purchase gave Disney ownership of the entire Star Wars film collection and possession of all its characters, allowing Disney to create new shows and movies for, well, forever. Disney has amassed 100 million users since it launched its streaming service—in part as the coronavirus pandemic forced many people to stay home in 2020—and the early boost is likely to set the company up for future growth. With Disney’s own branded content and its lucrative purchases of Marvel and Lucasfilm, Disney is perfectly positioned to be a media giant for many more decades to come. Pick Like A Pro Where to invest $500 right now Before you buy Amazon, or Netflix, or Apple, consider this… The team at Motley Fool first recommended each of those stocks more than a dozen years ago! They discovered Netflix for $1.85 per share, back in the days of DVDs by mail. And recommended Amazon at $15.31 in 2002, before most people were comfortable using credit cards online. And even hit Apple at $4.97 per share, about a month before the release