Which was the better investment since 2005, Disney or Netflix?

Netflix was the better investment. $1,000 invested in Netflix in 2005 would be worth $434,608 today, compared to $4,238 for Disney.

What would $1,000 in Disney vs Netflix be worth today?

$1,000 invested in Disney in 2005 would be worth $4,238 today (+323.8%). The same $1,000 in Netflix would be worth $434,608 (+43360.8%).

How do Disney and Netflix compare to the S&P 500 since 2005?

The same $1,000 invested in the S&P 500 in 2005 would be worth $9,342 today (+834.2%). Disney returned $4,238 and Netflix returned $434,608 over the same period.

Disney vs Netflix: $1,000 invested since 2005

DIS vs NFLX · Data through 2026-06-01

Investment amount

$1,000 invested in 2005 would be worth

Disney

$4,238

+323.8%

NetflixWinner

$446,250

+44525.0%

The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $9,342(+834.2%)

Growth of $1,000

Disney vs. Netflix vs. S&P 500, 2005 to present

Year-by-year comparison

Disney vs. Netflix, 2005 to present

Year	Disney	Return	Netflix	Return	S&P 500
2005	$1,000	-	$1,000	-	$1,000
2006	$893	-10.7%	$2,396	+139.6%	$1,098
2007	$1,253	+40.2%	$1,983	-17.2%	$1,261
2008	$1,089	-13.1%	$2,187	+10.3%	$1,227
2009	$766	-29.7%	$3,143	+43.7%	$758
2010	$1,107	+44.5%	$5,413	+72.2%	$1,005
2011	$1,472	+33.0%	$18,616	+243.9%	$1,228
2012	$1,498	+1.8%	$10,452	-43.9%	$1,280
2013	$2,107	+40.6%	$14,369	+37.5%	$1,491
2014	$2,875	+36.4%	$35,594	+147.7%	$1,811
2015	$3,647	+26.9%	$38,417	+7.9%	$2,066
2016	$3,889	+6.6%	$55,903	+45.5%	$2,048
2017	$4,558	+17.2%	$85,649	+53.2%	$2,458
2018	$4,546	-0.3%	$164,530	+92.1%	$3,104
2019	$4,740	+4.2%	$206,652	+25.6%	$3,029
2020	$5,950	+25.5%	$210,054	+1.6%	$3,678
2021	$7,235	+21.6%	$324,063	+54.3%	$4,310
2022	$6,150	-15.0%	$259,998	-19.8%	$5,309
2023	$4,667	-24.1%	$215,393	-17.2%	$4,875
2024	$4,145	-11.2%	$343,371	+59.4%	$5,879
2025	$4,924	+18.8%	$594,549	+73.2%	$7,421
2026	$4,967	+0.9%	$508,199	-14.5%	$8,633

Which came out ahead

Starting in 2005, Netflix (NFLX) was the better of the two against Disney (DIS). That $1,000 grew to $434,608 in NFLX versus $4,238 in DIS as of 2026-06-01, about 103x the ending value.

In total-return terms the order is clear. Netflix returned +43,361% against Disney at +323.8%, a gap of about 43,037 percentage points over the 21.6-year window. Compounded, that is about 32.5% a year for NFLX against 6.9% for DIS.

Netflix cleared a plain S&P 500 fund over the same span while Disney fell short of it. The index would have grown that $1,000 to about $9,342, compounding near 10.9% a year. Volatility was not shared evenly. Netflix moved across a far wider band of yearly returns than Disney did. All figures use split-adjusted closing prices and exclude dividends, taxes, fees, and inflation, so a real after-tax result would differ.

None of this recommends one holding over the other. It is historical math, and past performance does not guarantee future results.

Other start years

Disney vs Netflix from a different starting point

Since 2010 Since 2015 Since 2020 Since 2023

Individual stock pages

Disney since 2005+323.8%Netflix since 2005+43,361%

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For informational and educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All calculations are based on split-adjusted closing prices from Yahoo Finance and do not account for dividends, taxes, or trading fees. See our methodology and full disclaimer.