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Diversity on American television screens isn’t keeping up with diversity in American communities. That’s the big takeaway from a new Samba TV report offering a closer look at the quantity and quality of representation in the TV shows and commercials the country is currently consuming. It’s a timely and telling account of how—in this instance, at least—art unfortunately doesn’t imitate life.
Released ahead of Cannes Lions and at a time when previously championed diversity, equity and inclusion programs are facing setbacks within Hollywood, 2024 State of Diversity in TV paints a portrait of an industry that’s backsliding on its efforts to more accurately reflect the changing face of America. And that failing has big implications for both advertisers and creators.
Sourced from Samba’s first-party data, the report indicates that Hispanic households are particularly underserved by current TV offerings, even though they now account for 19% of the country’s overall population.
According to Samba’s research, only 6% of Hispanic actors appear as top-billed cast members on America’s top TV shows, down 40% from 2023, when they comprised closer to 10% of leading roles. Overall, the company found that the number of non-white leads has decreased by 12% since last year, when 42% of top-billed actors hailed from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.
As Samba’s report states, the lack of representation is particularly notable given the success of shows like Netflix’s Griselda, featuring an all-Latino cast led by Sofia Vergara, or CBS’ The Equalizer, where Queen Latifah heads up a majority Black ensemble. Griselda quickly jumped to the top of Netflix’s viewership rankings when it premiered in January, and The Equalizer was recently renewed for a fifth season after averaging nearly 8 million viewers in its Sunday-night time slot.
Samba’s data backs up those success stories. The company reports that 46% of Black households prioritize shows with more Black leads, and 50% of Hispanic households tune in for series led by Hispanic actors.