Rakuten TV, the European streaming platform, has announced it is putting sustainability “at the forefront of its priorities”. The company is reinforcing its commitment as a sustainable and inclusive company with two new initiatives focused on making a positive impact on society and on the environment.

The company has been represented as one of the jury members for the eighth edition of the MIPCOM Cannes Diversify TV Awards, the MIPCOM award aiming to highlight deserving programmes from diverse and inclusive backgrounds. 

Rakuten TV has also completed the second edition of its AVOD for Impact project, offering part of its AVoD inventory to three NGOs and foundations to host their content on the platform.

MIPCOM Cannes Diversify TV Awards 2024

Rakuten TV was part of the Special Jury for the MIPCOM Cannes Diversify TV Awards 2024, the event dedicated to the defense and promotion of diversity and inclusion in all its forms in the international television industry. The company was represented by its Communication and ESG Director Fabiana Cumia, alongside other industry experts and advocacy organisations from companies including Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount, BBC Studios and Fremantle. 

The Awards champion TV content which provides a fair and accurate representation of diversity and challenges the stereotypes that lead to social stigma.  With more than 148 pieces of content from 29 countries reviewed by the jury, the awards encompass the categories Representation of Disability, Representation of Race and Ethnicity, Representation of LGBTQ+, Representation of Diversity in Kids Programming, and Behind the Scenes Impact Award.

“We are what we watch,” commented Fabiana Cumia, Communication and ESG Director at Rakuten TV – “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.”

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

AVoD for Impact 

The second initiative implemented by the company in line with its Sustainability and DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) Strategy is the second edition of its AVoD for Impact project, where Rakuten TV offers its 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 for the summer edition were chosen after a careful selection process that rewarded those that best fit Rakuten TV’s holistic and integrated vision of sustainability. In line with this goal, for this second edition the company selected 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 prevent and alleviate human suffering; and Legambiente, the most prominent and widespread environmental organisation in Italy. 

AVoD for Impact is an initiative of the Rakuten TV ESG Ambassador Group, a group 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.

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Categories: Articles, VOD

Tags: avod, Diversity, rakuten, Sustainability