Non-White Audiences Kept Hollywood Afloat During Pandemic: Study

Audiences of color were major drivers of box office revenue in Hollywood last year, a report revealed Thursday, making up the majority of ticket sales for opening weekend for most blockbuster movies.

The findings continue a years-long trend that has seen filmgoer demographics shift over time in the United States, even beyond changes in the wider population.

“Every time there was a big movie that exceeded expectations or broke a record, we see that between 53 percent and 60 percent of opening weekend audiences were people of color,” said Ana-Christina Ramon, co-author of the Hollywood Diversity Report.

“For people of color and especially for Latino families, theaters provided an excursion when mostly everything was shut down.

“In a sense, people of color really kept the studios afloat the past couple of years.”

The report, from the University of California, Los Angeles, also found that casts are becoming more diverse — a factor that appears to be playing well with streaming audiences.

Titles with substantial minority casts tended to do especially well among younger viewers — those aged 18-49 — who are more engaged with streaming, the report found.

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“In 2020, minorities reached proportionate representation for the first time when it comes to overall cast diversity in films, and that held true in 2021,” said co-author Darnell Hunt.

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