Study: Women make up 52% of the population, but are only visible on TV 38% of the time

USA Today

Nielsen's new "Being Seen on Screen: Diverse Representation and Inclusion on TV" report analyzed episodes of the top 100 broadcast, streaming and cable programs in 2019 to compare the people appearing on screen to population data. "Women 50 and older make up 20% of the population and 20% of all TV viewers – but their share of screen time is less than 8%. Men over 50, on the other hand, represent 17% of the population and 14% of screen time," explains USA Today's David Oliver. "Women are not represented well in any genre, the report found, but were seen most often in science fiction, drama, comedy and horror. There was a huge disparity for Hispanics and Latinos, who were largely underrepresented on screens. While the group accounts for nearly 19% of the U.S. population, it claims just 5.5% of screen time, the study says, although the representation improved on streaming services compared to other platforms."