Analytics

While 2020 may have been a banner year for the discussion around diversity and inclusion in the nation, Nielsen’s Gracenote is debuting a new tool to give Hollywood insights into how to make it a reality on-screen.

The Gracenote Inclusion Analytics tool promises to offer users visibility into the gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation of talent appearing in TV programming, as well as the audiences watching the content. Content creators and owners, distributors and advertisers alike will be able to use the data on on-screen diversity and representation to enable more inclusive content, Nielsen said.

“The entertainment industry has a massive challenge ahead – to ensure the talent associated with popular TV programming mirrors today’s increasingly diverse viewing audiences,” said Sandra Sims-Williams, SVP of diversity, equity and inclusion for Nielsen. “By democratizing information around representation in content, Gracenote Inclusion Analytics holds the power to push the industry toward better balance and a more equitable future.”

Nielsen’s recent “Being Seen On Screen: Diverse Representation & Inclusion on TV” report found that women make up 52% of the U.S. population but only 38% of top recurring cast in popular broadcast, cable and streaming programming, and people of color account for 40% of the broader population but only 27% of top TV roles.

From highlighting catalog content with diverse female leads for Women’s History Month to connecting fans of more diverse content with more targeted recommendations, the content applications are numerous, while studios can use the tool to evaluate whether content meets Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) benchmarks and highlight programs for licensing opportunities.

“Audiences today actively seek out programs that highlight people who resemble them and experiences that reflect their own,” said Tina Wilson, head of analytics for Nielsen. “Under these circumstances, it’s critical that the entertainment industry create authentic content which resonates with underrepresented groups. Together, Nielsen and Gracenote are uniquely positioned to help the industry seize upon this opportunity by way of new data analytics solutions ensuring meaningful connections between content and audiences.”

Gracenote Inclusion Analytics works by combining Gracenote Global Video program metadata and Studio System celebrity race and ethnicity data with Nielsen Television Ratings and Nielsen SVOD Content Ratings data.

Based on those, the offering pumps out metrics assessing the degree to which different identity groups are featured in programming, as well as how evenly the data reflects viewer makeup.

At launch, Gracenote Inclusion Analytics will provide data and insights around gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation of on-camera talent appearing in popular broadcast, cable and SVOD TV programs, with future enhancements to include theatrical movies as well as crew information, covering directors, producers, writers and more.