Writers Strike is On

[chocolateshake]

I think the cost of keeping a show in the library is more than immaterial.  Streaming is an expensive operation.  If residuals are indeed that high, that would explain why the studios are holding to their position.  Since if they have to pay more in residuals than they make in income from a property, that's not a sustainable business model.

The savings from cutting these shows must be more than 1.5-1.8 billion.  Since Disney is taking an impairment charge of that size as a result.

[perc2100]

But streaming shows don't have residuals bc there's no distinction between the 'first' airing and any subsequent ones. And also of course the streamers don't release any hard numbers on how many times a show is watched. So if you made that X-Files episode you probably get a couple dollars for it over and over and over again. If you made a basically equivalent episode of Picard, you make nothing past your initial payment.

This will never not blow me away: that we have the standard Nielsen tracker for TV, but absolutely nothing that officially tracks streaming.  I remember when Ted Lasso season 1 was the talk of the town/internet, and I heard the show runner and other creatives (writers/producers) on a podcast saying that had no idea exactly what type of streaming numbers the series was doing, just from a lot of people who like the show.  As a logically-minded person, who 100% knows that streaming services absolutely do this to work to their advantage (hype a new series by proclaiming it has amazing/record-breaking numbers one min; cancel the series and claim poverty due to poor streaming numbers the next), it seems crazy there isn't official, public tracking data.  That would drive me _nuts_ if I worked in the business and was used to TV viewership business!

[Friends of Comic Cons]

[tsnyder]

 I'm just trying to wrap my brain around a SDCC with no writers or actors. I'm usually in Hall H or Ballroom 20 so feeling like this is going to be an interesting year. I'm worried if we don't have the big tent pole panels in those two rooms to fill up the Hall and tents means the floor and smaller panels are gonna be packed. I will absolutely have a blast no matter what but this is gonna be a weird one.

[puppy]

This will never not blow me away: that we have the standard Nielsen tracker for TV, but absolutely nothing that officially tracks streaming. 

That is incorrect. Nielsen tracks streaming. The shows on Netflix are ranked by Nielsen, not Netflix. I guess that's so sponsors don't have to blindly trust Netflix that they are getting their money's worth.

[chocolateshake]

That is incorrect. Nielsen tracks streaming. The shows on Netflix are ranked by Nielsen, not Netflix. I guess that's so sponsors don't have to blindly trust Netflix that they are getting their money's worth.

It's not only Netflix.  Nielsen tracks pretty much all the major streaming services.  You can see why Netflix won the streaming wars by looking at the Top Ten streaming chart.

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By the way, you can turn off Nielsen tracking of your streaming habits.  I opt out.

[alyssa]

its OVER

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[Michaelnaut]

its OVER

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Now let's see what happens w/the WGA.

[perc2100]

its OVER

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To be fair, 1) some of the bigger WGA (and likely SAG) sticking points aren't as dire for Directors Guild yet (such as AI) and 2) the DGA has never had a strike.

That being said, this is a good first step, as far as getting Hollywood back working & Directors, Writers, & Actors at SDCC panels.  Some of the deal the DGA got are things the WGA are fighting for, so hopefully that's a sign that maybe the producers are willing to come to the table and negotiate w/the WGA.  Screen Actors Guild voting to authorize a strike is due in the next day or so, and they'll start negotiations next week.  WGA is, as expected, not super happy about the DGA cutting a deal ASAP (and some DGA members, including some friends of mine, are also not happy) for a myriad of reasons.  IMO WGA is the least respected Hollywood union (at least between them, DGA & SAG) and seemingly often has to fight the hardest for what they get.  Their picketing is still routinely shutting down productions all over Hollywood & NYC (thanks to the Teamsters as well, who are routinely not crossing the WGA picket lines), so the industry is still pretty shut down: as WGA members are quick to reply to the DGA deal, "what are ya gonna direct?!"

But like I said, hopefully this is a good sign things are progressing for all involved

[semigeekgirl]

Yeah it's definitely not over. I'm hoping this means AMPTP will cave on some of the things the writers want but frankly I have very little hope that will be true. I think the DGa cutting their own deal while the writers remain on strike and BEFORE SAG's strike authorization vote finishes is pretty shady of them and pretty against all the "unity" rhetoric they've been spouting for the past few weeks. 

I hope that I'm overly pessimistic, but this does not seem like a good sign for the writers at all, and since I personally care more about the writers getting what they want than I do about Hollywood getting back to work... I'm not celebrating.

[chocolateshake]

This is playing out exactly like how an industry analyst said it would.  She said that if the WGA strike didn't get settled quickly, that it would take a back seat to the DGA and SAG negotiations.

[FlamedLiquid]

This is playing out exactly like how an industry analyst said it would.  She said that if the WGA strike didn't get settled quickly, that it would take a back seat to the DGA and SAG negotiations.

Not that surprising. The SAG and DGA negations are fresh so they would be focused on more. That and they seem to be treated as more of a big deal. Losing a director or cast of actors is a bigger hit.

[NCDS]

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SAG-AFTRA Members Approve Strike Authorization with 97.91% Yes Vote

[perc2100]

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SAG-AFTRA Members Approve Strike Authorization with 97.91% Yes Vote

Gonna be an interesting June; the strike authorization is for the end of the month if there's no agreement in place, and IIRC negotiations start this week so there is a bit of time to get an agreement sooner than later.  It's my understanding the SAG-AFTRA needs/asks are more complicated than the DGA (though fairly similar to WGA).  A SAG strike would shut down productions world-wide (currently between WGA & Teamsters most of the Hollywood, NYC, and several Atlanta and other locations are shut down, but it's harder to rally picketers in Europe  ) so the producers have much more incentive to end this sooner than later.  IIRC WGA is the union that's gone on strike the most, with the DGA never striking and SAG striking rarely so statistically I think the odds are in favor of an agreement before the end of the month strike date.

[FlamedLiquid]

And nycc are already announcing panels for this year. :/

A Critical Role panel was just announced.

[Vapors]

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SAG-AFTRA Members Approve Strike Authorization with 97.91% Yes Vote

This one will be interesting to follow as this will likely impact what Hollywood panels we will get if they don't come to an agreement before the deadline. More so than the WGA strike since fans come for the actors first.

Even if they already elect not to go on immediate strike after the deadline passes, the uncertainty may prevent a whole ton of panels from being scheduled anyways by the con.