Women 50+ Underrepresented On Top TV Programs

Friday, March 19, 2021, Nielsen released "Shattering Stereotypes: How Today's Women Over 50 are Redefining What's Possible On-Screen".

"Through this report, we aim to raise awareness in the media industry about women 50+ who are such a critical part of our communities and families," Tina Wilson, Nielsen EVP, Analytics put out. "They have shattered many glass ceilings in life — as business leaders, community activists, and balancing careers with caregiving — yet the media industry is missing out on portraying these realities. Forward-thinking content creators and brands know there's value in changing that."

When representation on television, Gracenote Inclusion Analytics shows that men are on-screen more than women (62% screen time vs. 38%), though women over age 50, who represent 20% of the population, the share of time on-screen plummets to just 8%. As in, women over 50+ are often cast the center around matriarchal and motherly themes.

"The 50-plus woman is successfully redefining these years as her new prime time! But while we are more active, more ambitious, and more influential now than ever, a search for ourselves on-screen betrays our near invisibility," said Sandra Sims-Williams, SVP, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Nielsen. "As the leader of Nielsen's DE&I team, I want to raise awareness of the power of my peers through our insights about the media we are consuming and how we are consuming it."

A content on internet-connected devices during primetime had increased by 51% for women over age 65, plus a year over year (2020 - 21) increase that outpaced women 50-64 and women overall.

SOURCE Nielsen