What's Happening To Media Stocks?

This week saw millions of dollars swept out of media stocks as investors began to panic and abandon their positions. Big names in the industry saw their share prices plummet as traders worried about the growing popularity of cutting the cable cord and swapping to an online viewing option. Sliding SharesViacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB) emerged as the biggest loser after reporting lower-than-expected revenue due to a poor performance by it's TV business. Twenty-First Century Fox (NASDAQ: FOX) lost 13 percent from Tuesday to Thursday and Walt Disney Co (NYSE: DIS) fell 11 percent during that period. The sell off came after the major networks announced falling viewership and sinking ad revenue, underscoring worries that cable TV was headed the way of the dodo. Digital AdvertisingAdvertising has shifted online, and for the first time that transition is beginning to affect TV. Other sectors like print and radio have already suffered the consequences of the internet's dominance in the ad market, but cable operators had always considered themselves safe. Sites like YouTube and Vine have taken over as popular forms of entertainment for millennials, leaving firms who depend on TV ad sales high and dry. Subscription DominatesBy contrast, subscription services are on the rise. Shares of Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) have been buoyed by the shift toward online viewing as the company's on-demand service has gained popularity. Amazon.com Inc.'s (NASDAQ: AMZN) Prime Instant Video offering has been a hit and more and more show producers are looking to online providers rather than traditional media companies to pitch their new shows.