The Importance of Black Celebrity News

Interested in black celeb gossip or other Hollywood news? So are a lot of other people! You know the celeb gossip: here’s what you need to know about Hollywood news itself.

• Hollywood news is an important industry. Every year, the celeb news industry brings in a combined income of more than $3 billion. That’s a lot of jobs, a lot of revenue, and a lot of interest. If a business signs a big-name endorser for a product or a service, Harvard Business School estimated in 2011 that they could increase sales by $10 million a year and their stock returns would see a .25% increase. That’s great for the economy.
• Hollywood news does some good, too. When a celebrity endorses a cause or a charity, support for that cause definitely goes up. The more the celebrity is in the spotlight of entertainment news, the more good their endorsement does. The uptick in support is especially noticeable among the young. Of people 18-36 years old, 27% will support a cause because a celebrity does. About 10% of older people do so.
• How has black entertainment gossip fared as a part of Hollywood news?There are now more than 45 million African-Americans in the United States, making up about 15% of the population, according to the Census Bureau. New York has the largest population, at 3.7 million in 2013. This demographic is helping to feed the growth of the black entertainment sector. Almost 7 million people in America attended an RandB, rap, or hip-hop concert in 2007-2008, and in July of 2011 the most Facebook “likes” given to any musical genre in America was for hip-hop.
• Who is the leader in black entertainment news? The leader and groundbreaker in the field is Black Entertainment Television (BET). This station is watched in 90 million homes across America, and as of 2010 was the biggest network targeting an African-American audience. it’s also the most important provider cultural and entertainment programming for the African-American demographic.
• Has anything else contributed to growth of the black entertainment industry? The immense success of black celebrities has made them a permanent feature of Hollywood news. Denzel Washington holds two Oscars, only the second black actor in history to get more than one. Will Smith is one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood news: almost every film he is in grosses over $100 million. Jay Z and Beyonce dominate the Billboard 200 and have a combined net worth of over $1 billion. Oprah Winfrey’s own show aired 25 seasons on 120 channels broadcast to 10 million people. The showed earned Oprah $30 million during its run.

Now you know how black celeb gossip is important to Hollywood news and American entertainment culture. The latest celebrity news not only interests a lot of people, but it boosts the economy, provides an avenue for businesses to increase revenue, and even does good. Keep up with the latest Hollywood news and you’ll stay ahead of the trend!