A stark new report has revealed a significant reversal in cultural diversity within the world of streaming television, with opportunities for women and people of colour shrinking both behind and in front of the camera.
Diversity in Sharp Decline Across Streaming Platforms
The latest annual Hollywood Diversity Report from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), published this week, delivers a sobering assessment. It analysed the 250 most-viewed current and library scripted series in 2024 and found a landscape dominated by white creators.
More than 91.7% of these top shows were created by a white person, with white men alone accounting for a staggering 79% of all show creators. Both figures represent an increase from the previous year's report. In front of the camera, the picture is similarly homogeneous, with white actors cast in 80% of all roles.
The data shows a dramatic underrepresentation for nearly all other racial and ethnic groups. Of the 222 scripted series surveyed, only 49 were made by women, and creators of colour accounted for a mere 8%. This decline comes despite evidence that minority households and female audiences are key drivers of viewership for top series.
A Reversal of Post-2020 Progress
This report indicates a sharp U-turn from the strides made following the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. In the wake of George Floyd's murder, many streaming services, broadcasters, and cable networks launched initiatives to boost diversity and invest in projects by or featuring more people of colour, particularly Black talent.
According to the study, those efforts have been largely abandoned. This shift is linked by experts to the political climate following Donald Trump's re-election and his administration's legal actions against so-called DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs. Major studios including Disney, Amazon, Paramount, and Warner Bros have discontinued long-standing DEI initiatives in the past year.
“Unfortunately, this wasn’t unexpected, especially with the election results in 2024,” said Darnell Hunt, UCLA's executive vice-chancellor and provost, who co-founded the study. He warned that “When you shut the door on diversity, you shut out opportunities for more perspectives, collaboration, exploration and growth.”
Stories Persist Despite Setbacks
Interestingly, the study found one area of resilience. Despite the overall slip in diversity behind the camera, the prevalence of underrepresented storylines – regardless of the lead actor's gender – actually increased in 2024.
Researchers pointed to shows like Apple's Ted Lasso and HBO's The Penguin, which, while led by men, devoted rich secondary narratives to female characters. “Even as diversity drops overall, we find that the stories are still there,” noted co-author Nico Garcia, a doctoral candidate. “When there are good and relatable stories, people watch regardless of who plays the lead.”
These inclusive storylines, particularly those centred on women, proved to be highly engaging. The report cited HBO's House of the Dragon and Netflix's Bridgerton as prime examples, noting that shows featuring underrepresented stories generated more than five times the median social media interactions compared to those without.
The future of diversity efforts is further clouded by industry consolidation. The contentious bidding war for Warner Bros, owner of HBO, involving Netflix and Paramount, has raised concerns. Industry bodies like the Writers Guild of America warn that such mega-mergers would hurt creative competition, eliminate jobs, and push down wages, potentially sidelining diverse voices further.
The UCLA report serves as a clear warning: without sustained vigilance and pressure, the entertainment industry risks not only a less equitable creative culture but also, as Darnell Hunt concludes, damage to its own financial bottom line by failing to invest in the creators and stories that resonate with a broad audience.
