Written by Trevor Denning @Bookstorethor
Now that the Writers Guild of American (WGA) strike has resolved, Hollywood is just waiting for an agreement with the striking actors before resuming business as normal. Since all production ground to a halt for four months and counting, audiences can expect to wait for new content while the studios play catchup. But given the union’s demands, we are about to see another change, not on our screens so much as on our credit card statements.
On Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal announced that Netflix plans to increase their rates again after both contracts are finalized. The WGA already estimates that their contract will cost Netflix 0.2% of its annual revenue, and one can assume that the actors’ demands also include pay increases based on streaming. Time will tell if the other streamers, such as Hulu, Peacock, Disney+, etc., will follow suit and how significant their rate increases will be.
Trevor Denning is a regular contributor at UpstreamReviews. A graduate of Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Mich., he lives and works in Alma, Mich., as a freelance writer. You can find more of his reviews and social commentary on his Locals site.