Disney vs Netflix: $1,000 invested since 2020

DIS vs NFLX · Data through 2026-06-01

$

$1,000 invested in 2020 would be worth

Disney

$712

-28.8%

NetflixWinner

$2,069

+106.9%

The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $2,540(+154%)

Growth of $1,000

Disney vs. Netflix vs. S&P 500, 2020 to present

Year-by-year comparison

Disney vs. Netflix, 2020 to present

YearDisneyNetflix
2020$1,000$1,000
2021$1,216$1,543
2022$1,034$1,238
2023$784$1,025
2024$697$1,635
2025$828$2,830
2026$835$2,419

Which came out ahead

From a $1,000 stake at the start of 2020, Netflix (NFLX) came out ahead of Disney (DIS). That $1,000 grew to $2,069 in NFLX versus $712 in DIS as of 2026-06-01, roughly $1,357 more in the end.

The split is the headline here. Netflix returned +106.9% while Disney returned -28.8%, so the same $1,000 ended up on opposite sides of break-even. Compounded, that is about 11.7% a year for NFLX against -5% for DIS.

Neither holding beat a plain S&P 500 fund over the same span. The index would have grown that $1,000 to about $2,540, compounding near 15.2% 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

Numbers worth sharing

Occasional data drops when something interesting surfaces. No schedule, just signal.

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.