Diversity on streaming series in sharp decline, UCLA study shows

Popular dramas and comedies on streaming services showed a sharp decline in cultural diversity from last year, signaling a troubling trend in the TV industry in terms of inclusion, a new UCLA study concluded.

The latest edition of the Hollywood Diversity Report released Tuesday, which examined the diversity of performers, creators and viewers in the top 250 series on streaming platforms, determined that the top shows in 2024 were less culturally diverse than the previous year and that people of color and women are facing more limited opportunities behind the camera.

Nearly four-fifths of the lead characters in the most popular streaming comedies and dramas were white, while almost all other races and ethnic groups were underrepresented, according to the study.

Also, white men increased their percentage of all show creators and especially lead actors, with white men occupying almost 4 out of 5 lead roles. Among 222 scripted series surveyed, only 49 had a female creator. Creators of color were mostly excluded from scripted series — both veteran library titles and current projects.

The report indicates a sharp reversal from the aftermath of the 2020 murder of George Floyd, when streamers, as well as broadcast and cable networks, began developing more projects showcasing people of color, particularly Black people. Studios and networks also pledged to establish initiatives and programs designed to increase diversity.

Those initiatives have been largely abandoned in the wake of last year’s elections, as the Trump administration and conservatives launched relentless attacks on nonwhite groups and diversity, inclusion and equity programs. Walt Disney Co., Amazon, Paramount and Warner Bros. were among the studios who dismantled long-standing programs and initiatives developed to increase diversity.

The downturn in diversity represents a troubling shift, said the authors of the report.

“Unfortunately, this wasn’t unexpected, especially with the election results in 2024,” Darnell Hunt, executive vice chancellor and provost at UCLA, said in a statement.

Hunt, who co-founded the study, added, “When you shut the door on diversity, you shut out opportunities for more perspectives, collaboration, exploration and growth. Without vigilance and pressure, the industry will continue to invest less and less in these creators and stories to the detriment of their bottom line.”

Study researchers also determined that shows on streaming services benefited from expanding horizons in their storytelling and including content centered around nonwhite cultures, as well as LGBTQ+, disabled groups and women.

Projects featuring those entities were popular among all the household and viewer groups, showing higher median ratings than shows that did not, similar to 2023.

The share of shows that featured underrepresented stories, regardless of the lead’s gender, increased in 2024. The report cited several of the top comedies led by men in 2023, including Apple TV’s “Ted Lasso,” which included women-centered stories. For 2024, report co-author Nico Garcia singled out HBO’s “The Penguin” and its focus on women characters such as Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) and the Penguin’s mother, Francis Cobb (Deirdre O’Connell).

“Even as diversity drops overall, we find that the stories are still there,” Garcia, a doctoral candidate in cinema and media studies, said in a statement. “When there are good and relatable stories, people watch regardless of who plays the lead.”

The contentious bidding battle by Netflix, Paramount and others to purchase the historic Warner Bros. Studios has thrown even more uncertainly on the future of diversity and inclusion within Hollywood. Industry groups, several unions and antitrust experts say a massive merger would negatively impact creative competition.

In a joint statement criticizing the proposed merger between Netflix and Warner Bros., the Writers Guild of America’s east and west chapters contend that “the world’s largest streaming company swallowing one of its biggest competitors is what antitrust laws were designed to prevent. The outcome would eliminate jobs, push down wages, worsen conditions for all entertainment workers.”