10 Advertising & Media Stocks That Could Tank If Recession Hits

4. Paramount Global (NASDAQ:PARA)

Paramount Global is a streaming, entertainment, and media company. The company operates in Filmed Entertainment, TV Media, and Direct-to-Consumer segments. A recession is likely to hinder one of the best business turnarounds in recent media history.

PARA found itself at a crucial juncture: wait for traditional media to die or transition quickly to a streaming service provider. With high debt, the company could not just muscle its way to a successful streaming platform. Against the odds, it slowly improved its Paramount+ and Pluto offerings and is expected to turn these into a profitable part of the business this fiscal year.

In the last quarter of 2024, the company gained an additional 5.6 million subscribers for Paramount+. The watch time for Pluto TV also grew by 8%. The media firm is setting itself up to monetize this growing subscriber base, but if ad spending takes a turn for the worse, the turnaround will have to wait a little longer.