Streaming Platform Rakuten TV Leads the Charge for Sustainability and Inclusivity in the Entertainment Industry

Rakuten TV, the European streaming platform, has announced its commitment to placing sustainability and inclusivity at the forefront of its priorities. The company is reinforcing its dedication as a socially and environmentally responsible organization through two new initiatives aimed at making a positive impact on society and the environment.

Empowering Diverse Voices and Challenging Stereotypes in the Entertainment Industry

Championing Diversity and Inclusion at the MIPCOM Cannes Diversify TV Awards

Rakuten TV has been selected as a jury member for the eighth edition of the prestigious MIPCOM Cannes Diversify TV Awards, an event dedicated to recognizing and promoting diversity and inclusion in the international television industry. The company will be represented by its Communication and ESG Director, Fabiana Cumia, who will join other industry experts and advocacy organizations from companies such as Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount, BBC Studios, and Fremantle.The Diversify TV Awards celebrate television content that provides fair and accurate representation of diverse communities and challenges the stereotypes that contribute to social stigma. With over 148 submissions from 29 countries, the awards span categories including Representation of Disability, Representation of Race and Ethnicity, Representation of LGBTQ+, Representation of Diversity in Kids Programming, and the Behind the Scenes Impact Award."We are what we watch," commented Fabiana Cumia. "This is why it is important that our industry reflects and respects all diversities and spreads inclusive models. We have a responsibility, as the way we produce and distribute film and television will determine the way people will feel included or excluded in the society. This is why Rakuten TV is eager to play a role in promoting inclusivity in our industry."

Addressing the Demand for Diversity in Entertainment

The demand for diversity in entertainment is both a social need and a business opportunity. The UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report 2023 reveals that films with at least 40% diverse casts consistently perform better at the box office, reflecting a growing audience preference for inclusivity. In 2022, 40% of lead roles in top films went to people of color. However, gaps remain behind the camera, with only 18% of directors and 27.8% of writers being women, and people of color making up just 20.7% of directors and 32.5% of writers. Across Europe, the representation of people with disabilities in films and television series remains critically low, with only about 2% of main or secondary characters portrayed as having a disability, according to the European Audiovisual Observatory Report (2022).

Driving Positive Change through the AVoD for Impact Initiative

Rakuten TV's second initiative in line with its Sustainability and DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) Strategy is the second edition of its AVoD for Impact project. This program offers the company's platform to spread the positive messages of selected NGOs working on environmental or social impact at an international level. Rakuten TV has donated an average of 500,000 impressions to each selected NGO.The NGOs chosen for the summer edition were selected through a careful process that rewarded those best aligned with Rakuten TV's holistic and integrated vision of sustainability. The selected organizations include Ayuda en Acción, which facilitates access to education and employment for the most vulnerable; Cruz Roja, founded to protect human life and health and to alleviate human suffering; and Legambiente, the most prominent and widespread environmental organization in Italy.AVoD for Impact is an initiative of the Rakuten TV ESG Ambassador Group, a team of internal advocates on Environment, Social, and Governance issues. After the success of the first edition, which took place in December 2023 with the collaboration of Greenpeace, CEAR, and Fundación Diversidad, the campaign is now in its second edition.