Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Nielsen's Gracenote Illuminates Disability Representation in Entertainment Content with Inclusion Analytics Enhancement

08/12/2022

New dataset tracks people with disabilities in programming as diverse audiences seek to see themselves more fairly reflected

EMERYVILLE, CA December 8, 2022 Gracenote, the content solutions pillar of Nielsen, has expanded the scope of its Inclusion Analytics solution adding new disability representation data to the talent gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation information currently tracked. By providing visibility into the presence of physical, intellectual, cognitive, mental, sensory, and other disabilities in people appearing in popular programming, Gracenote Inclusion Analytics paves the way for more equitable and accurate representation amongst the disability community and more informed decision-making around content investments. The disability nonprofit RespectAbility provided guidance in tracking this new data.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 26% of adults in the U.S. have a disability, either visible or non-apparent.1 In comparison, Share of Screen analysis from Gracenote Inclusion Analytics reveals just 8.8% of the top recurring cast members in popular broadcast, cable, and subscription video on demand (SVOD) programming represent the disability identity group.

It's clear that audiences increasingly demand diversity, equity, and inclusion in the content they choose to engage with. Nielsen's 2022 Attitudes on Representation on TV study found that 48% of viewers are more likely to watch content in which their identity group is represented, a 13% jump from the previous year. Furthermore, 34% of people with disabilities surveyed indicated they felt under-represented in media and 52% said they were inaccurately represented. The addition of disability data to Gracenote Inclusion Analytics empowers the entertainment industry to invest in balanced and authentic representation of the disability community in content.

More than one in four adults in the U.S. today are living with a disability, yet actors without disabilities are still cast to portray them in TV shows and films, said Halleh Kianfar, VP, Product at Gracenote. This is one example pointing to the large opportunity to create and invest in more representative content. Initiating positive change starts with measuring the diversity of talent featured across a range of identity groups and intersectionalities, and we're proud that Gracenote Inclusion Analytics serves this critical purpose.

We were honored to provide input to Nielsen's Gracenote leading to new metrics indicating progress on representation of disabled talent on screen, said Lauren Appelbaum, SVP of Communications and Entertainment & News Media at RespectAbility. Being able to measure the gap in representation of disability is a powerful capability that equips the media industry to act and invest in representative content and disabled talent. We hope tracking representation will lead to an increase over time.

The disability values now tracked in Gracenote Inclusion Analytics include a range of categories and individuals may be in more than one:

Neurodivergence

Intellectual/Developmental

Visual

Hearing

Physical

Mental Health

Data for Black, Indigenous and People of Color with disabilities is also available in Gracenote Inclusion Analytics with more parameters coming soon to provide more granular insights into intersectionality.

Gracenote Inclusion Analytics provides content creators, programmers, distributors, and advertisers new insights to illuminate how on-screen talent drives engagement, rationalize investment in diverse content, and inform inclusion strategies. The solution is available now covering broadcast, cable, and SVOD TV programming in the U.S. For more data and insights underscoring the importance of disability representation in content, visit https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2022/the-importance-of-disability-representation/.

Gracenote is the content solutions pillar of Nielsen providing entertainment metadata, content IDs and related offerings to the world's leading creators, distributors and platforms. Gracenote technology enables advanced content navigation and discovery capabilities helping individuals to easily connect to the TV shows, movies, music and sports they love while delivering powerful content analytics making complex business decisions simpler.

1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Disability and Health Data System (DHDS) August 27, 2018

About Nielsen Nielsen shapes the world's media and content as a global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics. Through our understanding of people and their behaviors across all channels and platforms, we empower our clients with independent and actionable intelligence so they can connect and engage with their audiences-now and into the future. Nielsen operates around the world in more than 55 countries. Learn more at www.nielsen.com or www.nielsen.com/investors and connect with us on social media (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram).

Contact Dani Root

Nielsen

dani.root@nielsen.com

Mark Yamada

Nielsen

mark.yamada@nielsen.com
LINK: https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2022/nielsens-gracenote-illuminate...
See more stories from arbitron

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

26/02/2026

NHL, Cosm Install C360 10.5K Capture Systems at All 32 Arenas

Multi-angle coverage, on-demand access to ultra-high-resolution video are provided for replays and clips across multiple distribution channels The NHL and Cosm...

26/02/2026

Advanced Systems Group Promotes Jody Boatwright to Chief Strategy Officer

Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, has appointed Jody Boatwright as Chief Strategy Of...

26/02/2026

TikTok, MLB Expand Multi-Year Global Content Partnership

As players report to Spring Training, TikTok and MLB announce an expanded content partnership bringing baseball fans around the world closer to the game through...

26/02/2026

Chyron Announces 2026 Designer of the Year Competition

Chyron announces its 2026 Designer of the Year Competition to be awarded during a live stream from the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas. This year's competition i...

26/02/2026

Appear's X Platform Now SRT Verified for YouTube Live Content Delivery

Appear, which specializes in live production technology, announces that its X Platform has been officially verified by YouTube for Secure Reliable Transport (SR...

26/02/2026

Adder Technology Enters New Era of Strategic Engagement with Launch of Customer Experience Center

Adder Technology, a specialist in connectivity solutions and high performance IP...

26/02/2026

Alcom Elevates Headend Video Service with Harmonic to Drive Growth

Harmonic announces that Alcom, a leading telco operator in Finland, is powering its next-generation white-label headend video service with Harmonic's XOS Ad...

26/02/2026

ESPN, Disney+ to Deliver More Banana Ball Games Than Ever as Collaboration Expands in 2026

ESPN, Disney , and the Savannah Bananas announce a 25-game exclusive package in ...

26/02/2026

SailGP Announces Broadcast Extensions with Globo and BandSports in Brazil for 2026 Season

Brazilian broadcaster Globo has returned as the official broadcast partner of th...

26/02/2026

NDI Appoints JRS as Official Distribution Partner for China

NDI, which concentrates in plug-and-play IP video connectivity, announces a strategic partnership with Jiaruisen (JRS), a Shenzhen-based technology distributor,...

26/02/2026

SVG Students To Watch: Noah Boudolf, Clemson University

The Charleston, SC, native has excelled as a live-camera operator on Tigers broadcasts In the live-sports-video industry, the future is bright. Our series SVG ...

26/02/2026

Behind The Mic: ESPN, Tennis Channel Sign New Deals for 2026 Tennis Analysts

Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and repo...

26/02/2026

SVG in Indy: Beyond the Colts, Lucas Oil Stadium Stays Busy With NFL Scouting Combine, NCAA Men's Final Four

Supported by partners, the in-venue production team keeps videoboard-show qualit...

26/02/2026

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: CAMB.AI's Akshat Prakash on AI Translation and the Future of Live Sports Localization

CAMB.AI provides AI speech synthesis and translation with a focus on localizatio...

26/02/2026

SVG Sit-Down: AWS's Regina Rossi on the Company's New Vertical-Video-Cropping Tool

AWS Elemental Inference could help sports broadcasters learn to love AI This we...

26/02/2026

Rohde & Schwarz awarded contract by Israel Airports Authority for QPS201 security scanners

Rohde & Schwarz awarded contract by Israel Airports Authority for QPS201 securit...

26/02/2026

Rohde & Schwarz highlights its unique CMX500 one-box tester tailored for NTN testing at MWC Barcelona 2026

Rohde & Schwarz highlights its unique CMX500 one-box tester tailored for NTN tes...

26/02/2026

Rohde & Schwarz high-efficiency transmitter powers next-gen broadcast services in Serbia

Rohde & Schwarz high-efficiency transmitter powers next-gen broadcast services i...

26/02/2026

Rohde & Schwarz highlights its comprehensive embedded systems test solutions at embedded world 2026

Rohde & Schwarz highlights its comprehensive embedded systems test solutions at ...

26/02/2026

Rohde & Schwarz to showcase spectrum security and network efficiency solutions at Mobile World Congress 2026

Rohde & Schwarz to showcase spectrum security and network efficiency solutions a...

26/02/2026

Rohde & Schwarz and Broadcom showcase first Wi-Fi 8 RF signaling tests, paving way for next-gen connectivity

Rohde & Schwarz and Broadcom showcase first Wi-Fi 8 RF signaling tests, paving w...

26/02/2026

Rohde & Schwarz advances AI-RAN testing using digital twins with NVIDIA

Rohde & Schwarz advances AI-RAN testing using digital twins with NVIDIA Rohde & Schwarz, in collaboration with NVIDIA, continues to drive AI-RAN innovation fo...

26/02/2026

Rohde & Schwarz and LITEON demonstrate highthroughput 5G femtocell testing with the PVT360A

Rohde & Schwarz and LITEON demonstrate high throughput 5G femtocell testing with...

26/02/2026

Cobalt Digital Returns to ISE with Comprehensive Lineup of IPMX-Ready Solutions

Industry's only IPMX-compliant audio monitor takes centerstage along with IPMX multiviewers, gateways, converters and routers Champaign, IL - January 26, 2...

26/02/2026

Cobalt Digital Products Receive IPMX Product Certification Following Inaugural Testing Event

Cobalt among first manufacturers to achieve verified compliance status with IPMX...

26/02/2026

COBALT ARIA AUD-MON Receives Best of Show Awards at ISE 2026

Barcelona - 20 February 2026 Cobalt Digital, the leading designer and manufacturer of award-winning ST 2110 and SDI signal processing products, and a founding...

26/02/2026

SES Extends EGNOS GEO-1 Satellite Service to Power Precise Navigation Across Europe

The agreement ensures Europe's satellite-based augmentation continues enhanc...

26/02/2026

AWS Launches New Tool for Vertical Video Conversion

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/02/2026

Broadpeak Launches Multiview For Live Sports at 2026 NAB Show

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/02/2026

Griffin Media Rolls Out Bitcentral Core News At KWTV, KOTV

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/02/2026

Adobes New Firefly QuickCut Gives Video Editors a Starting Point

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/02/2026

Disney Gains But YouTube Continues to Dominate Screentime

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/02/2026

BCNEXXT Adds HLG-Based HDR To Vipe Platform

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/02/2026

FCC Launches Inquiry Into Broadcast Sports Rights

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/02/2026

Avids New CPO Discusses AI, NAB Show and Newsroom Tech

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/02/2026

Samsung Taps Gracenote for AI-Powered Discovery

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/02/2026

Less Tools, More Visibility: TAG Video Systems at NAB 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/02/2026

Studio Technologies Dante-Based Solutions Power High-Prof...

With more than four decades of experience in radio broadcasting and live sports production, Daryl Doss, owner of Doss Technical Services and a contract engineer...

26/02/2026

BCNEXXT Deploys Live HLG-Based HDR Playout Within Vipe Pl...

BCNEXXT has deployed live HLG-based HDR playout capabilities within its Vipe platform, enabling broadcasters to integrate High Dynamic Range into live productio...

26/02/2026

TAG Video Systems at NAB 2026

TAG Video Systems (Booth W2323) will unveil new capabilities across its IP-native Realtime Media Platform at NAB 2026. New releases include visual service healt...

26/02/2026

IBC2026 unveils strategic partnership with EIT Culture an...

IBC today announced a new strategic partnership with EIT Culture & Creativity the institutional partnership for culture and creativity, supported by the Europ...

26/02/2026

Clear-Coms Arcadia Central Station and FreeSpeak Icon Bel...

Clear-Com kept the action on track at Red Bull Shay'iMoto, an adrenaline-fueled motorsport spinning event that transformed the streets of Durban, South Afr...

26/02/2026

Alcom Elevates Headend Video Service with Harmonic to Dri...

Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced that Alcom, a leading telco operator in Finland, is powering its next-generation white-label headend video service with ...

26/02/2026

Big Blue Marble named as Launch Partner for AWS Elemental...

Big Blue Marble, a provider of broadcast-grade, cloud-native video solutions for broadcasters, service providers, and content owners, today announced that it ha...

26/02/2026

Broadpeak launches Multiview solution to simplify multi-s...

New approach enables video service providers to deliver multiple live feeds on the same screen with lower costs and improved device compatibility Broadpeak, a ...