The share of women creating original streaming shows fell sharply in the 2025-26 television year, according to a new industry study. The drop reversed gains made the year before and pushed the numbers below where they stood nearly a decade ago.
The findings come from the latest edition of the annual "Boxed In" study, reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Dr. Martha Lauzen, executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University, tracked more than 2,500 characters and more than 3,600 behind-the-scenes credits for the report.
Women accounted for 24 percent of creators on original streaming shows in 2025-26, down from 36 percent in 2024-25. That earlier figure had itself been a jump from 27 percent the year before. Lauzen's findings suggest the increase was temporary rather than a turning point.
"The numbers of women creating shows on both platforms are now lower than they were almost a decade ago in 2017-18," Lauzen said.
On broadcast television, women creators declined more modestly, from 20 percent in 2024-25 to 19 percent in 2025-26. Women directing streaming projects fell from 32 percent to 22 percent over the same period, while women directing broadcast programs dropped from 18 percent to 16 percent.
The decline extended to roles in front of the camera as well. Women made up 44 percent of major characters on streaming shows in 2025-26, down from 49 percent the year before. On broadcast, female characters dropped slightly from 47 percent to 46 percent of major roles.
The study also documented a persistent age gap between male and female characters. On both streaming and broadcast, the majority of women in speaking roles were in their 20s and 30s, while the majority of men were in their 30s and 40s. Female characters experienced a steep decline in representation as they moved from their 30s to their 40s. Male characters did not face a comparable drop until their 50s.
"The emphasis on youth for the majority of female characters foregrounds their appearance, whereas males are able to credibly age into positions of personal and public power, normalizing the perception that men are naturally more powerful than women," Lauzen added.
The study follows a Hollywood Reporter piece from June that examined the lack of progress for women in below-the-line positions. That earlier report was prompted by behind-the-scenes footage from the set of Euphoria season three that circulated on social media, in which fans noted that most of the crew members visible in the clip were men.
