The series greenlit for TV’s 2020-21 season furthered diversity on and off-screen but white men had a significant edge in creating high-budget series, said the University of California, Los Angeles, study released Thursday. The difference is most apparent in the digital realm that includes Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and other streaming services, according to the latest Hollywood Diversity Report from UCLA’s Entertainment and Media Research Initiative.
The decision by UCLA and USC to join the Big Ten further consolidates power within two college conferences and escalates the rivalry between their two biggest media partners, Fox and ESPN. The Big Ten said Thursday that the schools, which have large fan bases and famous histories in football and basketball, will join the conference in 2024. Their arrival will benefit Fox Corp., which owns 61% of the Big Ten Network through a joint venture and just renewed its deal with the conference.
UCLA was forced to pull out of the Holiday Bowl only hours before Tuesday’s scheduled football game against NC State in San Diego because of COVID-19 problems within the Bruins program. The school announced its decision around 3:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday. The Bruins and Wolfpack were scheduled to kick off at Petco Park at 8 p.m. ET.
