In Nielsen’s monthly reports, streaming consumption has overtaken broadcast and cable TV several times over the past year. But the contracts between Hollywood studios and unions still classify it as a new or emerging medium whose remnants pale in comparison to those of traditional, linear networks.
That could eventually change in the upcoming contact negotiations, SAG-AFTRA chairman Fran Drescher told Deadline on the SAG Awards red carpet.
“I had a lovely lunch with Carol [Lombardini] who is president of AMPTP and we talked about maybe trying to reinvent the wheel a little bit and stop building on a contract that reflects a 1980s industry that barely exists anymore,” Drescher said. “So that’s the approach I want to take together, roll up our sleeves and see how we can have a contract that better reflects the industry as a whole that exists today.”
As reported by Deadline , the DGA issues, the Writers Guild issues, and the Screen Actors Guild issues are rarely as aligned this year, as they basically all deal with minimal fees and closings. As a result, there is cooperation between the guilds and the DGA leadership recently announced that they will not go in first as usual, opening the door for the WGA to start negotiations.
“Certainly, the Writers Guild, Directors Guild and SAG-AFTRA, we interact, we talk to each other about what we think is important to our members, find areas of common interest and so on,” Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator, against Deadline. “It looks like the writers are going to come first this time, which is great, and I think for the directors and for us, we’d love to support them and see the progress they’ve made.”
The timing of the upcoming negotiations bodes well for the outcome, Crabtree-Ireland said, sounding cautiously optimistic.
“I really think all unions have high hopes for this round of negotiations because we’re at a time in our country where I think workers in general — and that includes the creators of the entertainment industry — really expect companies to reach out and they treat.” Honest. And that is what we expect from our negotiation process. And I am hopeful and optimistic that we will get there, but only time will tell when we sit down with these very large companies.
The WGA contract expires on 1 May, while the current DGA and SAG=AFTRA contracts expire on 30 June. With the WGA likely first, Drescher hopes negotiations with the actors won’t begin until mid-June, when she returns from Paris.
“It would be pretty awful if I had to negotiate Zoom In Paris and I wouldn’t mind enjoying my holiday in Paris instead. I’m going to a wedding there and unfortunately I’m scattering the ashes of a loved one. But it’s my first time since Covid and I’m really looking forward to it.”
She noted that SAG-AFTRA has a lot of preparation to do in the coming months. The pay and benefits process, in which guild leadership listens to members, “ends,” she said. “And then we have the plenary sessions. There are a lot of hurdles to overcome before we feel really good, we have all our ducks in a row.
Drescher and Crabree-Ireland posed with Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos on the red carpet at the SAG Awards. Netflix has taken over the broadcast of the awards, which were shown for years on TNT and TBS. The broadcast will be available on Netflix’s YouTube channel this year and as a live event on the Netflix streaming platform next year.
“I think it’s going to be very exciting. And we have all kinds of wonderful and exciting ideas to enhance the whole experience, go behind the scenes, visit the stars; we are very excited,” said Drescher.
Crabtree-Ireland noted the “passion and understanding of Sarandos and his team for our show”.
“As we all know, streaming is a really important part of the future of our industry. And we’re very excited to be live worldwide this year, but next year there will be so many more people on the Netflix platform to watch the SAG Awards because we’ll be available all over the world at the same time. time,” he said. “I have spoken to our sister unions in different countries. They are all very excited to be a part of this and personally I am very happy about it.
Source: Deadline
Ashley Root is an author and celebrity journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for all things celebrity, Ashley is always up-to-date on the latest gossip and trends in the world of entertainment.
