The original post: /r/television by /u/Neo2199 on 2026-02-01 18:21:58+00:00.
Artificial intelligence:
In the future, studios that use synthetic actors in place of humans might have to pay a royalty into a union fund.
That’s one of the ideas kicking around as SAG-AFTRA prepares to sit down with the studios on Feb. 9.
“Is that a perfect solution? No,” says Brendan Bradley, a member of the union’s AI task force. “But it’s under the category of the best bad idea we’ve got in 2026.”
Streaming Residuals:
AI is a headline issue, but by no means the only one. The transition to streaming was also key to the strike, and the resulting deal left unfinished business.
“The No. 1 thing is still residuals,” says Kate Bond, a strike captain in 2023 and a member of the union’s L.A. board. “Is there a way to make it so when a show goes up on a streaming platform, we get the equivalent amount of money as a network residual?”
At one point during the strike, SAG-AFTRA demanded 1% of streamers’ total revenues — or about $500 million a year. The union settled for a streaming “success bonus” projected at $40 million annually, though it has come in well below that.
Union negotiators are expected to push to improve the terms. But some actors remain profoundly dissatisfied with the compromise.
In the days of broadcast and cable, actors would be paid for every rerun. An actor on a hit show could sustain a middle-class lifestyle for years on the back of residuals. Reruns don’t exist on streaming, and residuals are a comparative pittance.
“I think we’ve lost our way when we’re negotiating bonuses instead of residuals,” says Jeffrey Reeves, an actor who has been critical of union leadership. “We’ve given up the pay-per-play or pay-per-audience model.”
Streaming shows also have lengthier hiatuses between seasons — sometimes as long as several years. SAG-AFTRA has tried to limit exclusivity provisions, which prevent series regulars from seeking work on other shows during downtime, and that is expected to be an issue in the coming talks.