Posted in: Movies, Opinion, streaming, TV | Tagged: amptp, opinion, SAG-AFTRA, wga, writers' strike

Why Can't Apple, Amazon & Others Cut Their Own SAG-AFTRA/WGA Deals?

Is there any reason why Apple, Amazon, or other AMPTP members can't break ranks and cut their own deals with SAG-AFTRA and the WGA?

Ever since their respective strikes kicked in, there's been a ton of talk about what the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) should & shouldn't be doing. But for this go-around, we're shifting the spotlight to the other side of the negotiating table (when there is one) – the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). With the strikes showing slow-to-little progress as of this writing, there's been a question that's been nagging at the back of our brains ever since this whole thing started. What's keeping Apple, Amazon, Netflix, or any number of studios from going the A24 route and cutting their own deals with SAG-AFTRA and WGA?

With the AMPTP nearing its 100th anniversary in 2024, here's a down-n-dirty rundown of what it actually is. The trade association represents 350+ American television & film production companies when it comes to negotiating with the entertainment industry's trade unions – like SAG-AFTRA, the WGA, the Directors Guild of America (DGA, who recently signed a new deal with the AMPTP), and more. As for who makes up its membership? You've got your studios (Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, etc.), your streamers (Apple TV+, Netflix, etc.), your broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, FOX & NBC), and a smattering of cable television networks and indie film & television production companies. Of course, having big says in all of this are folks like Warner Bros. Discovery's David Zaslav, Disney's Bob Iger, and other big multimedia companies that have various stakes in the game.

Now, being around in that capacity for nearly a century is nothing to sneeze at. By this point, you're no long a tradition as much as an institution. And from the studios/producers' perspectives, it's hard to argue that the trade association hasn't done right by them – at the expense of the creative community in many instances, tragically. But is the AMPTP anything that needs to be adhered to anymore? Because unless there are some legal issues locking folks into the trade association or fear of some kind of retaliation from bucking the system, I can't see why – if I was running Amazon's Prime Video, for example – I wouldn't want to lock in a deal that works for Amazon and the unions.

The AMPTP's success was also built upon a lot of really rich entertainment industry folks wanting to stay really rich, getting together to make sure their riches were protected – they were unified by their collective greed & fear of the creative community getting a chance to really look at the books. But now? Sure, that latter fear is still there – but does anyone believe that Zaslav gives two flying f***s & a rat's ass about Iger's financial success – or vice-versa? But streaming – and the fallout of too many folks wanting to be like Netflix – has changed the landscape dramatically. We're back to the "wild, wild west" days now. One company's failings are now blood in the water to other companies looking for more love from Wall Street – and willing to do anything to get it back.

So who could break from the pack first? I'm not looking for Warner Bros. Discovery or Disney – or anyone deeply associated with either – making the move – though a move like that would blow the minds of Zaslav haters. NBCUniversal from a "Hail Mary!" standpoint, and for some reason, Amazon still rumbles in my brain as a possibility. I don't see Netflix because their game plan appears to be to split seasons on big shows and lean hard on international content (with Korean programming scoring big for the streamer). While blowback, once the dust settles, is a realistic concern, I could also see the studios eyeing this the longer the strikes run – but our frontrunner to go this route? Apple TV+, a streaming service that's been running its game far outside all of the "streaming wars" nonsense – the streamer with "Best Picture" Academy Award bragging rights. And that's because streaming isn't Apple's biggest concern – but one it understands is essential in its mission of offering content to its real priority: selling hardware. When you consider that Apple probably has enough loose change in its living room couch to actually purchase anyone who would try to push back on them takes retaliation off the table. With the CEOs reportedly set for a conference call later today, we might get a better sense of just how unified the AMPTP is at this point – or if "sources"-based reports start hitting about cracks beginning to show. Stay tuned!

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