Netflix Will See 'Meaningful Increment' In Revenue Even If It Grabs A 'Fraction Of The Video Game Market,' Says Analyst

Cathie Wood-led Ark Investment Management believes Netflix Inc NFLX could add a meaningful topline from video gaming if the streaming giant gets the execution right and manages to secure even a fraction of the pie in the highly-sought-after category.

What Happened: Compared to the 3 billion video gamers worldwide, Netflix has only 207 million users, Ark analyst Nick Grous noted. The global video games category churned about $175 billion in revenues in 2020, much more than the music, television, and film industries combined.

“Its move into video gaming seems to be as much on the offensive as defensive,” Grous wrote in anote on Monday.

“Now the question is whether Netflix will be able to execute in this highly competitive space.” 

The popular investment firm has a bullish stand on mobile gaming companies Skillz Inc SKLZ and Roblox Corp. RBLX, and has also been buying shares in Netflix.

Netflix is scheduled to report earnings after the market closes on Tuesday. 

See Also: Netflix Is Only The Latest FAANG Stock To Target Video Game Development: Morgan Stanley

Why It Matters: The video-streaming giant has, for years, been calling out the video game industry as a primary alternative that customers may choose over the streaming service, Grous noted. In recent years, more and more eyeballs have been turning to video games, thereby taking time from Netflix. 

As per Ark Invest, gaming platform Roblox, for example, enjoys play time of about 2.5 hours per day, roughly the same engagement as on Netflix and significantly more than that on most social media sites.

Game On, Netflix: Just last week, Netflix hired a former Electronics Art Inc EA and Facebook Inc FB veteran Mike Verdu to lead a new video gaming effort. 

As Vice President of Game Development, Verdu will create and add games around its owned properties and original series to the Netflix platform within a year. 

Price Action: Netflix shares closed 0.37% higher at $532.28 on Monday.

See Also: Netflix Can't Get Enough Of 'Wheels On The Bus,' Expands Content Deal With CoComelon