Netflix is now bigger than Disney by this one measure

Bloomberg News/Landov
Netflix Inc. gift cards at a store in Louisville, Ky.

Netflix Inc. has become the U.S.’s No. 1 media company by market value, surpassing Walt Disney Co. a day after it zoomed past Comcast Corp. for No. 2.

According to FactSet, Netflix’s market cap stood at $153 billion on Thursday, which compares with Disney’s $152 billion. Comcast was valued at around $145 billion.

Netflix shares, up about 1.5% near the closing bell, have gained 123% in the past 12 months, contrasting with losses of 5.4% and 22% for Disney and Comcast and far surpassing gains of 13% for the S&P 500 index  and 18% for the Dow Jones Industrial Average

The stock-market run underscores viewers’ long-standing move away from cable and broadcast TV. Netflix recently has scored high-profile deals, including a multiyear agreement with Barack and Michelle Obama that could lead to films, documentaries and series.

Claudia Assis is a San Francisco-based reporter for MarketWatch. Follow her on Twitter @ClaudiaAssisMW.

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