Recent negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers broke down late Wednesday after the two sides once again failed to reach a deal.
The groups had met five times in the past two weeks but the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists say the latest offer from the studios is worse than the one proposed when the strike began on July 14.
“We have made big, meaningful counters on our end, including completely transforming our revenue share proposal, which would cost the companies less than 57 cents per subscriber each year,” SAG-AFTRA stated when news of the negotiation breakdown was reported.
The actors’ union is asking for higher wages and protections against artificial intelligence but producers say the sides are too divided for talks to continue right now.
“SAG-AFTRA’s current offer included what it characterized as a viewership bonus that, by itself, would cost more than $800 million per year – which would create an untenable economic burden,” part of a statement from the AMPTP read.
As of now, it is unclear when the two sides will meet again but there’s no doubt that SAG-AFTRA picket signs will be returning to the streets.
So what does this mean for upcoming TV shows?
KTLA 5’s Sam Rubin said a lot of television programs had scheduled the start of production to resume in November, “presuming the actors and producers would figure out a deal.”
“It’s not November yet, but if they don’t go back to work by November, a lot of people are saying the entire year is lost, then in effect, the television season is lost,” he concluded.
A monthslong strike involving the WGA and the AMPTP was recently resolved.
The WGA and the AMPTP announced a tentative deal in September and ratified the contract on Monday, ending one of the longest strikes in the union’s history.