Netflix is outperforming traditional film studios when it comes to creating inclusive content, according to a new study.
"We've seen that to drive real change, we need to approach our work with an 'inclusion lens,'" Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said in a statement, as reported by EW. "That means asking more questions like, 'Whose voice is missing? Is this portrayal authentic? Who is excluded?'"
Released by the University of Southern California's Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, the new report found that Netflix's content has increased its representation for women, Black cast and crew, and women of color in Netflix's movies and series over a two-year period.
The study examined 126 movies and 180 series that premiered on the streaming platform in 2018 and 2019 and found that 35.7 percent of these films featured lead actors from underrepresented groups. In comparison, only 28 percent of popular theatrical films released during the same time featured leads from underrepresented groups.
Sarandos explained that the results of the study "directly impacts who is being hired both above and below the line" and revealed plans for Netflix to release inclusivity reports every two years through 2026. He continued, "Our hope is to create a benchmark for ourselves, and more broadly across the industry."
Also, 52 percent of Netflix's movies and series featured girls or women in leading roles, while 15.2 percent of lead characters and 19.5 percent of the main cast of all content during the same time period were Black. Additionally, the percentage of female directors, writers and producers at Netflix also outpaced most other major studios in 2018 and 2019.
However, the study also revealed that some marginalized groups continue to be underrepresented. Of the content assessed, 68.3 percent did not feature a single speaking role for a Latina. Additionally, 96 percent did not include any American Indian/Alaskan Native or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander women and only 1.7 percent of series leads were Latinx.
Netflix also has room to improve in regard to LGBTQ characters and characters with disabilities. Only two percent of speaking characters in Netflix's films and 3.3 percent of characters in Netflix's series were LGBTQ. Only one percent of series leads had a disability.
The new report was released days after Netflix shared that its lineup of original series has sparked sales in the book series that inspired its content. Five of the Top 10 entries on February's New York Times Best Sellers list are novels that have been adapted into one of its television shows. Specifically, five of the Bridgerton novels by Julia Quinn made the list, along with The Queen's Gambit, Firefly Lane and Lupin.
Source: EW