Generation Z and millennials (and Generation Alpha that follow them) are the most diverse generations in American history—in terms of ethnicity, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, and neurodiversity. They want media and entertainment that reflects the world they see, and the lives they live, new Deloitte report shows.

A total of 3,517 US consumers were interviewed for the survey carried out in October 2023, which considers the following generations: Generation Z (1997-2009), millennial (1983-1996), Generation X (1966-1982), boomers (1947-1965) and mature (1946 and earlier). 

Among them, more than half of Black consumers prefer to watch TV shows and movies that feature people who look like them. Around half of Black and multiracial people actively seek out TV shows and movies that tell stories about underrepresented groups. But the team behind the scenes matters, too: Nearly 70% of Black consumers (and more than half of Asian, multiracial, and Hispanic and Latinx consumers) say it’s important to them that TV shows and movies are written and produced by diverse creative teams. 

LGBTQIA+ respondents are also more likely than other consumers to expect the diversity of the real world to show up on screen (62% compared with 45%), to seek out shows and movies that tell stories about underrepresented groups (53% compared with 32%) and say it’s important that TV shows and movies have diverse creative teams behind them (66% compared with 45%).

While consumers across communities expect to see inclusivity in media and entertainment content, production studios, streaming services, and other entertainment providers should be mindful of the stories they tell, the talent they hire, and the behind-the-scenes professionals they recruit. These expectations will likely only grow stronger as generations continue to be more diverse.

“Appealing to the full diversity of consumers is important to business success—and currently less than a third of consumers surveyed believe the Media & Entertainment industry is inclusive,” the authors highlight. Deloitte research found that Black, Hispanic and Latinx consumers, and LGBTQIA+ audiences, drive more than a third of the US M&E market, and 71% of entertainment spend among these groups is driven by feelings of inclusivity. “Investing in inclusivity could have real business implications for production companies and streaming video-on-demand providers.”

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Source: 2024 Digital Media Trends