In an era when inclusive storytelling should be table stakes, Samba TV’s newly released 2025 State of Diversity on TV report reveals the industry is still fumbling the basics. The media intelligence firm, known for leveraging AI to track viewership trends, has surfaced hard-hitting data: diverse representation on TV is not just plateauing—it’s regressing.
According to the report, non-white cast representation in top television programming dropped by 5% over the past year, falling to 42% overall. Even more troubling, Hispanic representation—despite the demographic comprising 20% of the U.S. population—remains stuck at just 7%, and Asian representation has been halved to a mere 6%.
Meanwhile, advertising isn’t helping matters. White households, representing 58% of the U.S. population, received 63% of all ad impressions. In stark contrast, Hispanic households saw 21% fewer ads than their demographic share would warrant.
“Representation is not just about appearances, it is a business imperative,” said Samba TV CEO and Co-founder Ashwin Navin. “Our data shows a clear connection between diverse casting and audience engagement.”
Navin isn’t overstating it. The report highlights a +36% correlation between on-screen representation and viewership, with that figure soaring to 68% among Black audiences engaging with Black-led streaming shows. In other words: representation drives ratings.
Linear Networks Leading the Charge
While streaming platforms are often credited with pushing progressive narratives, it’s actually linear networks making the stronger case for inclusion. ABC tops the charts, with 55% of casts in its top shows comprising non-white talent. NBC and Netflix follow at 44%.
Interestingly, streaming as a whole tends to skew whiter than linear TV. While the U.S. population is 58% white, streaming shows cast 60% white actors. Linear TV, on the other hand, is slightly more balanced, with 56% white representation, driven largely by a stronger presence of Black and multiracial talent.
Genre Matters, But So Does Strategy
Scripted crime dramas are quietly becoming unlikely champions of representation, boasting 47% non-white casts. Reality TV, however, continues to lag with only 33% diversity. It’s not just who’s on screen that matters—it’s also what genres they’re in.
Netflix, despite industry criticism, showed strong commitments by renewing XO, Kitty (63% Asian) and Survival of the Thickest (88% Black). Yet elsewhere, representation took a hit. NBC and CBS axed shows like The Equalizer and The Irrational, despite both having high marks for diverse casting.
The contradiction is glaring: some of the most inclusive shows are being pulled just as audiences demonstrate a clear preference for seeing themselves reflected.
Advertisers Missing the Mark
Brands, too, are struggling to walk the talk. Samba TV’s data reveals that advertising industries fail to connect with multicultural audiences across verticals. For example, education and finance ads overperform with Black audiences, but categories like pet care and pharma underdeliver for Hispanic viewers.
However, there are standout exceptions. Colgate (Hispanic), AAA (Asian), and Rooms To Go (Black) are cited for their culturally attuned ad campaigns that resonate with specific audiences.
Still, most advertisers have yet to catch up to the demographic realities of the U.S.—and the opportunity cost is steep. Fewer impressions in diverse households mean missed revenue, brand disconnects, and a failure to future-proof ad strategies.
Samba TV’s report lands at a time when brands, networks, and platforms are being asked to do more than virtue-signal during heritage months. The data draws a straight line from inclusion to engagement—an insight too valuable to ignore in a saturated, attention-scarce market.
As streaming competition intensifies and advertisers chase fragmented audiences, one message rings clear: reflect the audience, or risk losing them.
