WGA and SAG-AFTRA negotiations near the finish line — streaming revenue-sharing reform emerges as the defining issue.
Fewer than 5% of streaming shows released in 2025 qualified for a performance bonus — and on Amazon, that figure dropped to just 1.5%. The data, compiled by audience measurement firm Digital-I, lays bare a harsh reality: the bonus mechanism secured by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA in their landmark 2023 contracts is failing to deliver meaningful compensation to the vast majority of content creators.
Jung Han
Three years after Hollywood ground to a halt in one of its most disruptive labor actions in decades, the industry is now navigating a new round of negotiations — and the structural inadequacy of streaming income distribution is back at the center of the debate.
No one in Hollywood wants another work stoppage. The WGA wrapped up its new deal with the studios ahead of schedule, and a SAG-AFTRA agreement appears imminent. While this round of talks has prioritized bread-and-butter issues — healthcare and pension benefits — the streaming pay problem has not gone away.