Streaming giant Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:NFLX) has released many original series and movies in recent years, helping catapult the company to one of the most subscribed platforms in the world. The launch of "Stranger Things" nearly a decade ago has been one of the company's biggest hits and this year, the series comes to its end.
Here's a look at how Netflix stock has performed since the first season of "Stranger Things" hit the streaming platform.
What Happened: Netflix initially licensed existing movies and TV shows. Eventually, it found success with original programming, beginning with "Lilyhammer" in 2012. Over the years, the company released huge hits like "House of Cards," "Squid Game" and "Stranger Things."
The first season of "Stranger Things" premiered on July 15, 2016, and became a massive hit for the company, building a loyal fan base and making it one of the most successful Netflix original series of all time.
Subsequent seasons would be even better for the streaming giant’s viewership.
The first part of the fourth season of "Stranger Things" broke records in May 2022 for an English-language series. In their first week of release, the episodes were viewed a total of 287 million hours, breaking a previous record of 193 million hours set by the second season of "Bridgerton."
Viewership for the fourth season of "Stranger Things" totaled 1.35 billion hours in the first 28 days, an English-language record for the company.
The second part of "Stranger Things" season 4, which consisted of two long episodes, set additional records, hitting 301.3 million hours watched in its first week.
The fourth season currently ranks third all-time for English-language series on Netflix with 140.7 million views. The season ranks first in hours viewed among English-language series, with 1.84 billion hours watched.
A fifth and final season premieres on Nov. 26, with episodes to be released in three parts, each around a key holiday.
- Part 1: four episodes, Nov. 26 (the day before Thanksgiving)
- Part 2: three episodes, Dec. 25 (Christmas Day)
- Part 3: final episode, Dec. 31
All episodes will premiere at 5 p.m. PST on their respective dates.
The final episode of season 5 will also be shown in hundreds of AMC movie theaters in North America through a partnership with AMC Entertainment Holdings (NASDAQ:AMC). The episode will be shown in theaters simultaneously with its streaming premiere.
Netflix investors and fans of "Stranger Things" will be sad to see the series end, but there are plans for some spinoffs that could keep fans of the series delighted in the future.
"Stranger Things" creators Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer are set to leave Netflix for Paramount Skydance (NASDAQ:PSKY) with a new four-year deal that will see more of their works shown in movie theaters. Existing Netflix projects from the Duffer Brothers won't be affected by the move, which could mean any "Stranger Things" spinoffs.
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Investing $1,000 in Netflix Stock: The first season of "Stranger Things" kicked off on Netflix on July 15, 2016.
A $1,000 investment could have purchased 101.63 shares of NFLX on that date, based on a split-adjusted price point of $9.84.
Today, the $1,000 investment would be worth $10,809.37, representing a return of 980.9% over the last nine-plus years.
Netflix currently costs $17.99 per month for the standard ad-free streaming plan. Those fortunate enough to have invested in Netflix when "Stranger Things" was released could turn that investment into money to pay for the streaming plan.
The $10,809.37 could currently cover 600.85 months of Netflix's standard plan, or more than 50 years. There is, of course, a chance that Netflix raises its prices in the coming years. Either way, the investment in Netflix stock based on this key release has an impressive return.
Compare the return of Netflix stock to the returns of the S&P 500, as tracked by the SPDR S&P 500 Global ETF (NYSE:SPY). The same $1,000 invested in the ETF would be worth $3,154.51 today, representing a return of 215.5% over the same nine-year time period.
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This article was previously published by Benzinga and has been updated.
Photo: Shutterstock
