University of California Los AngelesUniversity of California Los Angeles
The Hollywood Diversity Report — authored by Dr. Ana-Christina Ramón, Michael Tran, and Dr. Darnell Hunt — examines the relationship between racial, ethnic, and gender diversity and the bottom line in the entertainment industry. It is the 11th in a series of annual studies.
This study found that, in 2023, diversity increased in streaming film leads, directors, writers, and total actors, though representation was less than 2-to-1 among streaming film directors, at 31%, and streaming film writers, at 28%.
Women gained ground on their male counterparts in streaming film leads, directors, and writers but remained underrepresented with less than 2-to-1 among streaming film directors, at 31%; streaming film writers, at 41%; and total streaming film actors, at 40.8 %.
Adults with a disability remained underrepresented in top films with ratios less than 3-to-1 among streaming film leads, at 9%, and less than 6-to-1 among total streaming film actors, at 4.7%.
The report noted that its 2023 data suggest America’s increasingly diverse audiences prefer diverse content in streaming film release as median ratings for viewers, age 18-49, were highest for films featuring casts that were between 41% and 50% Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).
“Not understanding the power of an increasingly diverse audience and the opportunities that exist in the current setting would be a grave mistake for the film industry,” the report concluded. “This is definitely a moment for innovation in Hollywood.”
