Streamers Put More Women in Charge of TV Shows Than Broadcast Networks, Study Finds
A new study of female employment in TV finds that major streaming platforms have made more progress toward gender parity than networks.
As the entertainment industry looks to improve the ratio of female representation in television on screen and behind the scenes, a study finds that the youngest streaming services have made more progress than broadcast networks that have been around for decades.
That’s one of the conclusions of this year’s “Boxed In” survey, an annual report on female employment in television by Martha Lauzen, executive director of San Diego State University’s Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film.
The latest edition of the long-running industry report card finds that in the 2020-21 television season, women accounted for 30% of creators, 31% of directors and 24% of editors on streaming programs, versus 22% of creators, 19% of directors, and 15% of editors on broadcast network programs. In front of the camera, 52% of major characters on streaming programs were women, while networks trailed behind with 45%.
But this study also notes a drop in 2020-2021.