Redefining Hollywood: ‘Diversity Makes More Money
If you spend much time talking about diversity in Hollywood, it’s an argument you’ll hear often: that ethnic and gender diversity is nice, but it doesn’t make a movie profitable or bring ratings to a TV show.
But researchers at the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA have produced a study that just might stick a pin in that defense, sorting through over 1,200 films and TV shows to reach a provocative conclusion:
Diversity makes more money and brings bigger audiences.
The study, 2014 Hollywood Diversity Report: Making Sense of the Disconnect, found that broadcast TV shows with casts featuring 41 to 50 percent nonwhite characters attracted the highest household ratings. For films, those with 21 to 30 percent nonwhite diversity earned the most revenue.
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