SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers reached a tentative agreement on a successor contract covering motion pictures, scripted primetime dramatic television, streaming content and new media. The parties did not disclose terms and said further details will be released later. The agreement now goes to the SAG-AFTRA National Board for approval in the coming days, followed by a member ratification vote that has not yet been scheduled.
The negotiations centered on updated protections and compensation tied to generative Artificial Intelligence, along with broader pay improvements for performers. SAG-AFTRA had already established standards for Artificial Intelligence-related consent and compensation in its prior bargaining round, but sought new language as the technology and its uses changed. Union leaders also pushed for higher wages and cost-of-living and inflation adjustments as members faced pressure on earnings and health care qualification.
The performers’ union began negotiations on Feb. 9. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland led bargaining for SAG-AFTRA, while Hessinger served as chief negotiator for the studios and streamers. The parties extended contract negotiations twice, most recently returning to the bargaining table after the AMPTP made its WGA deal on April 27.
The tentative agreement continues a labor cycle in which studios have sought longer periods of stability with major Hollywood unions. The AMPTP had pursued longer deals earlier in the year, including with the Writers Guild of America, which ultimately settled on a four-year contract rather than the five-year term the studios initially wanted. The new SAG-AFTRA deal, if approved, would remove the immediate threat of another major industry work stoppage.
