What do Netflix and MrBeast have in common? They’re two of the most recognizable names in media — and they’re both looking to theme parks as a new lane of growth.
This month, Netflix opened a Netflix House in the King of Prussia mall outside Philadelphia, the first of multiple permanent installations for fans to hang out, take selfies, and play games based on popular shows like “Wednesday” and “One Piece.”
Top YouTuber MrBeast, meanwhile, unveiled a mini theme park in Saudi Arabia last week, called Beast Land. The 45-day pop-up similarly taps into the creator’s intellectual property by offering guests a chance to compete in games that mirror his stunt videos.
Netflix and MrBeast amassed audiences of hundreds of millions by ignoring the old media playbook. So, why are they following in Disney’s footsteps by launching theme park experiences?
There are two big forces at play.
First, there is a demand for in-person experiences.
“There’s a lot of on-screen fatigue,” said Mike Ellery, chief creative officer at Sparks, which has worked with Netflix on in-person activations like its 2024 Emmy season event. “People want to do things that are live.”
Sales for live events like concerts and sporting events have bounced back to (or even exceeded) pre-pandemic levels, with communal experience a big part of the draw, according to Deloitte. Surveys by MG2 Advisory, a retail design and architecture firm, have shown that Gen Z has become more interested in in-person interactions and pop-up experiences over the past two years, after being relegated to screens during the pandemic lockdown. Two of five of these adults, 18 to 26, shopped mostly or entirely in-store in 2025, MG2 found.
Second, there’s the desire from media companies for new ways to grow revenue. Netflix’s frenzied days of subscriber expansion in the US are over, and the time people are spending watching its shows and movies is slowing. MrBeast, for his part, is racing to become profitable as his company eyes a potential IPO and looks to deliver for investors.
Both want to wring more value out of the massive amount of money they spend on content, and one way to do that is by getting fans to engage more deeply with them in areas like in-person experiences.
“It’s an acknowledgment that the battle for time is sort of a fool’s errand,” said media analyst Doug Shapiro, a senior advisor at BCG. “Time is finite.”
Netflix and MrBeast want to let fans experience their brands in real life
These initial experiments by Netflix and MrBeast are moderately priced.
The Netflix games cost $25 to $40 a pop to play, while Beast Land charges $7 to enter and up to $66 for all-access to the rides. That’s roughly on par with attractions like the Top of the Rock observation deck at New York City’s Rockefeller Center (starting at $42), but cheaper than a major theme park like Disney World, which starts around $120 per day.
The initial slate of Netflix Houses will be located in malls, allowing people to easily return to them. The experience is varied enough within each locale, and from city to city, that you could see people coming back with friends, as a couple, or with kids to do different things each time, said Melissa Gonzalez, founder and principal of MG2, which has developed escape rooms and immersive pop-ups for brands like Victoria’s Secret (Netflix isn’t a client).
“There’s a lot of different uses here,” Gonzalez said. “The way they designed this, things are naturally Instagrammable. It feeds into the experience economy. The younger generation wants that.”
The MrBeast team modeled its Beast Land attractions after its videos, with one game featuring the “trap doors” gimmick that has become a signature in MrBeast competitions. The goal was to allow fans to experience what it’s like to compete in a MrBeast challenge, the YouTuber said.
Letting people walk through a space or participate in a challenge they’ve seen on screen brings instant emotional connection and loyalty, Ellery said.
The business case
It’s hard not to consider these new ventures without thinking of Disney, which has built a $36 billion parks and experiences business off its famous characters and stories. The MrBeast team has even pitched investors on plans to build out a Disney-style empire.
These initial efforts from Netflix and MrBeast don’t have Disney-scale ambitions, however.
Netflix has said it’s not making its “Houses” for the money but to connect more deeply with fans. Netflix has also historically moved slowly into new areas, committing in a way that doesn’t spook investors (see: its foray into video games).
Projects like Netflix’s and MrBeast’s have a natural cap on scale compared to larger theme parks, which rely on massive numbers of visitors who come for longer and spend a lot, said Jason Ambler, chief content officer of Falcon’s Beyond, which develops and operates entertainment destinations and whose clients have included Disney and Universal Studios.
The smaller formats are more agile and replicable, though.
For most companies, the real value isn’t in the business itself but in how these experiences boost the brand and drive sales elsewhere, Ambler said. Branded, in-person experiences let companies quickly and safely test new ideas, stay visible between product releases, and strengthen connections with fans.
Beast Land has a partner in Riyadh Season, a Saudi entertainment festival, and is running for a limited time, which reduces MrBeast’s financial risk.
While the capital outlay may be relatively small for Netflix and MrBeast, launching these experiences isn’t risk-free, Gonzalez said. Netflix’s shows have to translate into a real-world environment and not feel shallow or gimmicky. There may be licensing complexities. Replicating the approach in different locales with different footprints can take time.
While these experiments aren’t going to turn into a billion-dollar business overnight, Netflix and MrBeast may consider them a success if they determine — through tracking things like customer satisfaction and spending over time — that they keep fans watching, subscribing, and buying other things the company sells.
Marketing is another goal. These experiences are designed for attendees to take selfies and post them, helping spread the word to a wider audience.
“It’s creating this shareable experience that you can have in real life with your friends and your people, and you can amplify that with social really easily,” Ellery said.
Don’t rule out the possibility that these experiences could grow into something bigger down the road.
“All successful franchises start to think about how they can further monetize,” said Scott Purdy, a media industry consultant at KPMG US. “They’re going down a path others have in terms of business maturity. When companies slow down from frenzied growth, you start to look at other avenues. Can it be a real business? Yes. I don’t think it’s just a marketing thing.”
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