Union board members representing television and movie actors are set to review a tentative contract deal with studios and streaming services this week. The agreement, announced on Saturday, still requires approval from the board of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and ratification by a member vote. If approved, the industry will avoid a repeat of the 2023 actor and writer strikes that significantly disrupted Hollywood.
The tentative deal was announced in a joint statement from SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents major studios, streamers, and production companies. The statement said no details would be made public until the union's board has reviewed them. A person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press that the agreement is for a four-year contract instead of the standard three-year term.
The union's main priorities in the talks included bolstering protections against the use of artificial intelligence to create synthetic performers or recreate likenesses of real actors, as well as securing improved long-term payments for re-aired shows, known as residuals. SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin said the union had to fight to protect the gains made during the strike, noting that studios were “sending signals of wanting stability, of wanting to work as partners.”
The negotiations began on 9 February and took about six weeks, with a brief interruption while studios negotiated with writers, who also reached a four-year agreement. The current SAG-AFTRA contract expires on 30 June. With the actor talks completed, AMPTP negotiators are now free to begin contract talks with the Directors Guild, set to start on 11 May.
