SAN FRANCISCO—Even though the U.S. is becoming a more diverse country, with about 41% of the population identifying as being part of a non-white ethnic group, extensive new research from Samba TV indicates that the TV industry has actually taken a step backward recently in terms of serving more diverse audiences. A new Samba TV "Diversity in TV" study found that the representation of non-white leads in top TV shows has decreased by 12% in the first part of 2024 compared to 2023.
This gap in representation is particularly stark for Hispanic actors, who make up 19% of the population but only 6% of top-billed cast members, marking a 40% decline from last year.
