Why Netflix and MrBeast Bet on Mini Theme Parks in 2025
Saudi Arabia is fast becoming a global entertainment hub as MrBeast launched Beast Land, a limited 45-day mini theme park in Riyadh, tapping into the creator economy’s experiential demand. Meanwhile, near Philadelphia, Netflix opened its first permanent Netflix House in King of Prussia mall, letting fans immerse in shows like Wednesday and One Piece. This geographic spread highlights a system-level strategy: leveraging physical venues to extend digital IP and deepen audience loyalty. ‘The battle for time is a fool’s errand,’ says media analyst Doug Shapiro, underscoring the finite nature of audience attention.
Why Theme Parks Aren’t Just Fan Experiences
The conventional view sees theme parks as costly, outdated relics for legacy media giants like Disney. But Netflix and MrBeast reveal a different mechanism: small-scale, replicable venues placed in high-traffic, consumer-friendly locations that reduce upfront risk and accelerate brand engagement. Unlike Disney World’s massive $120+ daily price tag, these new parks offer $7 to $66 access, making them accessible and nimble.
This approach repositions the growth constraint from chasing endless streaming minutes to creating physical moments that fans willingly pay for and share. Instead of fighting screen fatigue, they turn passive viewers into active participants, with every game or selfie generating organic social amplification. This tactic echoes strategies explained in 7 Scalable Business Model Examples To Leverage In 2025, where systems grow by layering new revenue streams on existing assets.
Leveraging Location as a Growth System
Choosing malls like King of Prussia — a major suburban hub — frees Netflix from the scale demands of destination parks, letting return visits compound engagement as the experience diversifies. Similarly, MrBeast’s partnership with Riyadh Season festival in Saudi Arabia externalizes capital and marketing risk.
Unlike competitors who build sprawling, capital-heavy parks requiring massive foot traffic, these mini parks leverage local ecosystems and event calendars to optimize flow and spending. The system design links cost control, risk mitigation, and engagement intensity — a clear advantage embedded in geographic strategy, highlighted by resource optimization tactics.
The Real Business Model Behind the Experience
The investments funnel revenue not just from ticket sales but from ancillary paths — merch, subscriptions, and branded social buzz. This cascading effect translates expensive content IP into multiple monetizable touchpoints. The small footprint and modular design enable rapid iteration and localization, which traditional parks cannot match.
These branded venues act as marketing machines with built-in virality, as attendees post Instagrammable moments, creating free distribution channels and reducing paid acquisition costs. Netflix’s and MrBeast’s moves echo principles in building digital marketing programs that scale, embedding leverage in both physical and digital realms.
What This Means for Media and Market Expansion
The shift from subscriber growth to experiential leverage forces companies to rethink constraints: finite user screen time vs. scalable engagement ecosystems. Operating in distinct geographies like Saudi Arabia and Philadelphia demonstrates how geographic and regulatory contexts enable flexible business models with limited legacy friction.
This sets the stage for other creators and media brands to adopt micro-physical venues, especially in regional hubs where full-scale parks are untenable. These systems not only multiply revenue flows but future-proof brands by embedding fan interaction into real-world habits.
‘All successful franchises think beyond screen time to monetizing moments that build lifelong loyalty,’ says media consultant Scott Purdy. The leap to physical experiences is no gimmick—it is the new industrial design of media leverage.
Related Tools & Resources
As Netflix and MrBeast leverage physical experiences to deepen brand engagement, effective marketing automation becomes essential to amplify these moments across digital channels. Platforms like Brevo provide the seamless email and SMS automation needed to nurture audiences and extend the impact of experiential campaigns, turning attendees into loyal brand advocates. Learn more about Brevo →
Full Transparency: Some links in this article are affiliate partnerships. If you find value in the tools we recommend and decide to try them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools that align with the strategic thinking we share here. Think of it as supporting independent business analysis while discovering leverage in your own operations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are companies like Netflix and MrBeast investing in mini theme parks?
Netflix and MrBeast are investing in mini theme parks to extend their digital intellectual property into physical venues, deepen audience loyalty, and create new monetizable touchpoints beyond streaming, all while reducing upfront capital risk compared to large-scale parks.
How do mini theme parks differ from traditional ones like Disney World?
Mini theme parks offer much lower admission prices, ranging from $7 to $66 compared to Disney World’s $120+ daily price tag, focusing on small-scale, replicable venues in high-traffic locations which reduce risk and increase accessibility.
What advantages do mini theme parks provide in terms of audience engagement?
These parks turn passive viewers into active participants by offering physical moments for fans to enjoy and share, generating organic social amplification and multiple revenue streams such as merchandise and subscriptions.
Why is location important for the success of mini theme parks?
Choosing locations like major suburban malls allows frequent return visits and compounds engagement without needing the scale of destination parks, while partnerships with events like the Riyadh Season help externalize capital and marketing risks.
What is the business model behind these mini theme parks?
The business model relies on cascading revenue streams from ticket sales, merchandise, subscriptions, and social buzz, using small modular designs that enable rapid iteration and localization beyond traditional large parks' capabilities.
How do mini theme parks help reduce marketing costs?
By creating Instagrammable experiences and encouraging attendees to post, these parks generate free distribution channels and reduce paid acquisition expenses, effectively embedding marketing leverage into physical and digital touchpoints.
What kind of venues are suitable for mini theme parks?
High-traffic, consumer-friendly, and accessible locations such as suburban malls or event-driven festival sites are ideal, as they allow smaller-scale operations that optimize flow and spending without requiring massive foot traffic.
How do mini theme parks contribute to future-proofing media brands?
By embedding fan interaction into real-world habits and expanding beyond screen time, mini parks multiply revenue flows and loyalty, helping media brands adapt to finite audience attention and scalable engagement ecosystems.