UCLA’s latest Hollywood Diversity Report gave the streamers a better report card than the box office. The study released Wednesday honed on streaming films and found that the top films of 2024 more than proportionately represented women on-screen and featured diverse casts.
Unlike the blockbusters of 2024, half of the leads in the top 100 streaming films were actors of color – almost double that of theatrical films – for the first time. This marked an increase since last year’s record high. Additionally women accounted for 61% of streaming films’ leads, mirroring an increase in gender equity in theatrical release.
The Hollywood Diversity Report series, now in its 12th year, publishes multiple in-depth reports on the entertainment industry eah year, analyzing representation both in front of and behind the camera. This study specifically focuses on the top 100 English-language film releases on major streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, Disney+, Hulu, Max, Netflix, Paramount+, and Peacock in 2024, ranked by U.S. household ratings.
The study also found that women and people of color drove viewership highs for streaming films of 2024 for audiences 18-49. Researchers concluded that this evidence “continues to underscore America’s preference for diverse content in streaming film release.”
“People across the country support diverse films regardless of whether it’s in a theater or from the comfort of their couch,” said Ana-Christina Ramón, co-founder of the report and director of the Entertainment and Media Research Initiative at UCLA. “Streaming films are one of the few places where the stories and faces that reflect the people of this country can be found.”
Households of color were overrepresented for 19 of the top 20 streaming films ranked by total household ratings. Women were the majority of viewers, and audiences aged 18-49 were also overrepresented among 15 of the same top 20, watching films like “Damsel” with Millie Bobby Brown, Kevin Hart’s “Lift” and Jason Bateman’s Netflix thriller “Carry On.”
Disabled communities are still underrepresented on-screen but increased to 14% for leads and 6.1% for total roles.
As for behind the camera, directors of color accounted for 4 out of 10 directors for streaming. Across the same period, 80% of theatrical directors were white. Only 30% of streaming film writers are people of color. Streaming films that were written by a person of color or women were more likely to diversify their casts than their white male counterparts.
The diversity report also noted that there are disproportionate budgets for streaming films than theatrical ones, thus withholding larger budgets often for white men.
“We’re glad to see gains for diversity with streaming films, but the gap between movie budgets for streaming and theatrical releases gets wider and wider,” said Michael Tran, a sociologist and co- author of the report. “It’s especially troubling since only a select few, specifically men, are given the chance to dip into the upper echelons of financial backing.”
Just over 65% of the top streaming films had budgets of less than $20 million, compared to 34.6% for theatrical films. Less than 5% of streaming films had budgets of $100 million or more, and male directors were the only streaming filmmakers to be given that nine-figure budget.
“Our data shows that diverse storytellers and actors draw in and engage people from every demographic,” said co-author Jade Abston, a doctoral candidate in cinema media studies.
But white men still received the most investment from Hollywood with nearly three-quarters of film deal principals being granted to them. The study called for increased attention and investment for filmmakers, who are women and people of color.
“In order for Hollywood to survive financially and to remain relevant, it must invest in storytellers who bring diverse perspectives and new ideas to the table,” Ramón said.
