Even those with a casual interest in the market are aware that 2024 on Wall Street was marked by a remarkable surge in technology stock valuations.

The tech sector also played a crucial role in helping the entertainment industry navigate its challenges, leading the list of the year’s top percentage gainers. While Reddit, Spotify, and Netflix may not be part of the “Magnificent 7” alongside giants like Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Nvidia, Meta, and Tesla, they offered significant optimism for media investors this year.

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Netflix, in particular, successfully navigated what Wall Street refers to as “a wall of worry,” with its foray into advertising and initiatives to charge customers for password sharing yielding positive results. After a challenging 2022 marked by subscriber losses and increased competition, the streaming leader is concluding the year on a high note.

Among the major media players, Comcast and Warner Bros. Discovery faced declines of 14% and 7%, respectively, due to their struggling linear TV assets. Comcast received some commendation for its proactive announcement to spin off linear cable networks in 2025. Meanwhile, WBD’s 7% drop was viewed as a partial victory given its stock’s low point of seven dollars at one stage. However, shares remain less than half of their value at the time of the WarnerMedia and Discovery merger in 2022, closing the year at $10.57. Paramount Global also faced challenges with linear TV and its merger with Skydance Media, resulting in a 29% decline for the year.

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Linear TV emerged as a significant theme among the year’s largest percentage losers. While traditional TV continues to generate cash, it is in decline, with both viewers and advertisers largely moving away from the medium, except for live sports.

Disney, which dealt with a complex proxy battle earlier in the year led by Nelson Peltz, finished 2024 with a 23% increase. The company successfully highlighted its cost-cutting measures, revitalized studio operations, and stable theme park revenues to alleviate investor concerns regarding its linear assets. Although it has stabilized, Disney’s stock remains well below its peak in 2021, a time of corporate upheaval under former CEO Bob Chapek. Under the leadership of Bob Iger, the situation has improved, but 2025 is likely to bring renewed attention to the CEO role, as Iger’s contract expires at the end of 2026, with the company planning to announce his successor early that year.

Disney’s resurgence, partly fueled by three billion-dollar blockbuster films (Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, and Moana 2), was mirrored by gains in shares of cinema and related companies. Cinemark, the third-largest movie theater operator in the U.S., saw its stock soar by 120%. Imax shares also experienced a significant increase of nearly 70%, bolstered by improvements in China and alternative revenue streams that provided stability to the hit-driven film industry.

Cineverse, one of the year’s top performers, made strides in the challenging independent film sector. The innovative company leveraged its streaming portfolio to propel the horror sequel Terrifier 3 to impressive returns, marking one of the year’s most unexpected movie openings. While Cineverse’s resurgence did not occur at the level of Netflix, it was a remarkable turnaround for a company that faced a Nasdaq delisting after its shares fell below $1.

Another notable winner in 2024 was TKO Group Holdings, controlled by Endeavor, which saw a 74% increase in value. This surge is not surprising given the popularity of the UFC, which is nearing a lucrative new media rights deal, and WWE, which secured a milestone, multibillion-dollar agreement with Netflix for Raw. TKO’s success is even more impressive considering that one of the year’s early Wall Street events featured Dwayne Johnson, Ari Emanuel, and Vince McMahon ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Just days later, McMahon left the board and began selling his shares following serious allegations of sexual misconduct, drawing federal scrutiny.

Endeavor is preparing to transition to a private company, with plans for longtime supporter Silver Lake to take it private. Although the company’s shares remained relatively stable after its 2021 IPO, this year brought a bit more momentum, with the stock finishing up 32% for the year.

Person: Nelson Peltz, Bob Chapek, Bob Iger, Dwayne Johnson, Ari Emanuel, Vince McMahon
Company Names: Netflix, Spotify, Reddit, Comcast, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount Global, Skydance Media, Disney, Cinemark, Imax, Cineverse, TKO Group Holdings, Endeavor, Silver Lake
Titles: Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, Moana 2, Terrifier 3

Disclaimer: This article has been auto-generated from a syndicated RSS feed and has not been edited by Vitrina staff. It is provided solely for informational purposes on a non-commercial basis.