The U.S. entertainment industry is missing out on $12 billion to $18 billion annually by underrepresenting Latinos, one of its largest consumer groups, according to a report from the Latino Donor Collaborative (LDC).
This serves as a testament to the increasing economic influence of Latinos in the United States. The LDC estimates that the U.S. Latino GDP — the economic output by the U.S. Latino population — reached $3.6 trillion in 2022, making it the fifth largest economy in the world.
Latinos make up 20% of the U.S. population but account for 24% of box office sales, 29% of mobile TV viewers, and 24% of streaming users. Despite this, Latino actors held lead roles in just 11 of 198 scripted TV shows analyzed in this year’s LDC report, while only 8% of episodes were directed by Latinos, and 5% of showrunners were Latino.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, observed annually from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 to honor the contributions of Latino and Hispanic Americans, here’s a breakdown of the streaming platforms with the best and worst Latino representation in lead roles within their 2024 scripted shows.
