What Happened to Those Streaming Bonuses?

It was a key win of Hollywood’s 2023 double strikes: a bonus that promised to allow workers to share in some of the spoils of successful streaming series and movies.

After a grueling cumulative six-month work stoppage and talking points about entertainment workers falling behind, the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA — as well as, retroactively, the Directors Guild — wrote additional residuals beyond existing payments into their deals with media companies for top-rated projects. For WGA members, the new bonus structure, which took effect on Jan. 1, can range from $9,000 to $16,400 for a TV episode or $40,500 for a feature with a budget of more than $30 million, according to Hollywood payroll services firm Wrapbook. “We opened a new revenue stream,” said Fran Drescher of her union’s provision in November 2023. “What mattered was that we got into another pocket.”