SAG-AFTRA Still Evaluating AMPTP’s “Last, Best and Final Offer"

Sunday did not witness a lot of action between the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) as the guild strike hit its 115th day.

Following a brief virtual meeting with CEOs on Saturday, the guild leaders continued Sunday to look over the so-called “Last, best and final Offer” the studios put on the table Friday.

Guild brass including National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland started their day around 10 a.m., reviewing the document that studio executives perhaps hyperbolically termed “historic.”

“There’s a lot to digest here,” a guild insider about SAG-AFTRA’s review of the studios’ response proposals. “This simply takes time to review and to respond.”

For now, there are no official meetings between the parties scheduled for Monday or later this week.

"We are performers, united in purpose and determined in strength. It's time to fight for what's right. Find your place on the picket line today at http://Sagaftrastrike.org and be part of the change! 💛💪 #SagAftraStrong," the guild wrote on X.

Unsurprisingly, SAG-AFTRA has pickets scheduled in front of studio lots and offices in both Los Angeles and New York on Monday, as they have since the guild went out on strike in mid-July.

Monday also sees the guild turning the pickets into a little bit of collectible fun:

For the past weeks, the studios privately have been stressing the need for a completed deal by the end of October/beginning of November to maintain a schedule in which a TV season is salvageable and a 2024 movie slate can move forward. 

However, as always, this comes down to money.

Several studios have earnings reports coming in the next week with Wall Street very much on the lookout for weaker estimates going into next year. 

Paramount Global cited a $60M hit in “strike-related idle costs,” this week while Netflix began a fresh round of layoffs in its drama and overall deals department.

 The streamer, which currently counts $6.5 billion in free cash flow from the strikes, could see that promptly in the new year as Netflix tries to catch up on lost production time during the strikes.

Other companies forced to make cuts due to the strike include Amazon, Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, ESPN, Paramount, Conde Nast, Spotify, Fifth Season, Vice, Lionsgate, and Roku.

Beyond doubt, the dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes have turned the TV and film release schedules upside down next year, with as many as nine empty weekends on the movie release calendar sans wide releases from studios. 

With actors not permitted to promote their movies, studios have shifted big tentpoles off the calendar. The U.S. box office also has taken a hit, with this past weekend grossing $63.3M — the 10th time this fall that the B.O. has failed to hit the $100M threshold.

The double strikes saw the California economy take a loss of $6.5 billion and 45,000 jobs lost.

The proposal put forth by the studios reportedly contains the highest wage increase for thespians in 40 years and a 100% raise in performance compensation bonuses for high-budget streaming series and films. 

In addition, there were so-called “full” AI protections in the offer, terms which went “a long way to what SAG wanted,” per an industry source Saturday.