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Report Suggests Audiences Appreciate Diverse Casts

University of California Los AngelesUniversity of California Los AngelesUniversity of California Los AngelesMinority groups experienced gains relative to their white counterparts in all key Hollywood employment arenas examined in the streaming film sector, according to a new report from the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment at UCLA.

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.”

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