Average marketing spending on major U.S. movies with minority leads in 2018

Movies with an underrepresented female as the leading role received 10 million U.S. dollars less in domestic marketing budget than those starring white men, and received the least funding compared to films with male or white female leads. The study analyzed the allocation of promotion costs among top-grossing U.S. movies from 2007 to 2018, by identity of the lead. From 817 live action movies with a single protagonist, those starring women of color received the least budget, in both domestic and international promotion in print and advertising spending.

Average domestic and international print and advertising spending on top-grossing live action movies from 2007 to 2018, by lead actor gender and ethnicity (in million U.S. dollars)

Characteristic	UR Female	White Female	UR Male	White Male
Domestic	32.99	38.26	39.78	43.87
International	17.17	24.41	26.76	30.8

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Release date

February 2020

More information

Region

United States

Survey time period

2007 to 2018

Age group

14-64 years

Special properties

Across 817 live action movies with a solo lead character

Supplementary notes

Number of films per gender/ethnic group (domestic): Under Represented Female 34, White Female 185, Under Represented Male 93, White Male 505.

Number of films per gender/ethnic group (international): Under Represented Female 32, White Female 185, Under Represented Male 91, White Male 504.

Figures have been rounded.

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