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Could Netflix Stock Help You Become a Millionaire?

newsfeedback@fool.com (Jack Delaney)
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⚡ Quantum Brief
Netflix’s stock has historically delivered massive returns, with a 2002 IPO share now worth over $11,000 after splits, proving its long-term growth potential for early investors. Two emerging revenue streams—immersive experiences and video podcasts—could drive future gains. Netflix House venues in Dallas and Philadelphia leverage IP like Stranger Things and Wednesday for real-world engagement, mirroring Disney’s lucrative model. Podcasts expand Netflix’s reach beyond 325M subscribers, targeting YouTube’s 2.5B users. Early results are promising, with ad revenue hitting $1.5B in 2025 and sponsorship opportunities growing. Short-term risks include an $82B Warner Bros. acquisition and paused buybacks, but long-term innovation in experiences, podcasts, and gaming may offset volatility for patient investors. Like its IPO-era investors, new buyers in 2026 could see millionaire-level returns—but only if they endure market fluctuations and bet on Netflix’s adaptive growth strategy.
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Two new income streams for the entertainment giant could create a windfall for patient investors. Back in 2002, Netflix (NFLX 4.71%) went public at $15 per share. Today, after several stock splits and enormous returns, a single share bought then would have grown into a stake worth more than $11,000. So it's safe to say the streamer has already made some early investors very wealthy. In 2026, how much potential does Netflix offer to help create a new round of millionaires? Here's the investing case. What could boost the Netflix stock price for the long haul? Two revenue growth opportunities stand out for the company: experiences and podcasts. Beyond making money from streaming its shows and movies into homes, Netflix can borrow a page from Disney's playbook and turn its valuable intellectual property (IP) into experiences. Image source: Getty Images. Disney's experiences division includes consumer products, a cruise line, and its international and domestic theme parks. In the company's fiscal 2025, that segment reported record operating income of $10 billion, up $723 million from the prior year. That was more than half of Disney's total operating income for the year. Now, Netflix is beginning to turn some of its IP into real‑world experiences. It opened Netflix House locations in Dallas and Philadelphia in late 2025. Each of the venues offers different experiences. In Dallas, guests can try a Stranger Things escape room, for example, while the Philadelphia site offers experiences built around One Piece and Wednesday. Both also feature food inspired by the streamer's shows, and sell Netflix-branded merchandise. The company has not made the financial results from this new business segment public, but it plans to expand the experiment with a Las Vegas venue in 2027. The other big potential revenue growth engine for Netflix is video podcasts, which could help it expand its total addressable market. While it does have 325 million household subscribers already, YouTube's 2.5 billion monthly active users show how many more eyeballs there are to win over. Beyond their potential to attract new subscribers, the podcasting platform offers Netflix an avenue to expand its budding advertising business. That segment generated $1.5 billion in revenue in 2025. There are also opportunities in sponsorships and licensing deals, as well as in launching and hosting podcasts tied to Netflix's shows and movies. On the company's earnings call in January, Co-CEO Ted Sarandos noted that the company's podcast endeavors are still in a very early stage, but said that he was "super pleased by the early results." ExpandNASDAQ: NFLXNetflixToday's Change(-4.71%) $-3.75Current Price$75.87Key Data PointsMarket Cap$336BDay's Range$75.58 - $79.1552wk Range$75.58 - $134.12Volume1.3MAvg Vol47MGross Margin48.59% Does Netflix still have millionaire-maker potential? Over the next year, Netflix's stock price may take further hits as investors continue to worry about the $82 billion price that the streaming giant may pay to acquire the Warner Bros. businesses from Warner Bros Discovery. Netflix is also pausing its share buyback program to free up more capital to fund that purchase. It has a long way to go before it will be generating meaningful revenue or earnings from its experience offerings, and maximizing the opportunities that video podcasting offers will also take time. The good news for investors who take the long view is that the company's expansions into experiences and podcasting show how it is continuing to innovate and adapt. That bodes well for its bottom line over the long term, and that's before one even considers the potential benefits it could reap from acquiring Warner Bros., or the revenue possibilities from Netflix's budding gaming division. Netflix could create a new round of millionaires among those who invest in 2026, but just as was the case for those who bought in around its IPO, it will require conviction to hold steady during the volatility they'll face along the way. Read NextFeb 12, 2026 •By Justin Pope5 Artificial Intelligence Stocks You Can Buy and Hold for the Next DecadeFeb 11, 2026 •By John Ballard2 Growth Stocks to Invest $1,000 in Right NowFeb 11, 2026 •By Will EbiefungNetflix Stock Is Down 15%.

Should You Buy the Dip?Feb 11, 2026 •By Prosper Junior BakinyIs Netflix Stock Your Ticket to Becoming a Millionaire?Feb 7, 2026 •By Justin Pope3 Growth Stocks to Invest $1,000 in Right NowFeb 6, 2026 •By Adam Levy3 Things Every Netflix Investor Needs to KnowAbout the AuthorJack is a seasoned content strategist with over a decade of experience in financial publishing. He's directed technology, emerging opportunities, and alternative asset publications to deliver actionable insights to investors. He has a B.A. in Communication Studies.TMFJackDelaneyStocks MentionedNetflixNASDAQ: NFLX$75.88 (4.70%) $3.74Walt DisneyNYSE: DIS$102.24 (5.44%) $5.88Warner Bros. DiscoveryNASDAQ: WBD$27.94 (0.18%) $0.05*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.

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