The question of how much writers should be compensated for their work has been complicated by the rise of streaming platforms, which have turned the business model of Hollywood on its head. Writers used to be paid a lump sum for the work they did on particular shows or movies, followed by residual payments that could go on for years and prove lucrative if their content re-aired on cable or was sold on DVD. Now, shows or movies that air directly on streaming platform earn writers smaller residual payments — cutting off an important revenue stream.

According to the agreement summary released by the WGA, negotiators obtained several concessions from studios and streamers on basic pay and residual payments.

Writers who work on longer content that has a budget of $30 million or more and is made for streaming services will now receive an 18 percent pay bump and a 26 percent increase in the base rate with which residual payments are calculated.

Payments as part of flat deals for feature screenplays will also be sped up.

Writers who work on multi-episode TV series will be paid more per week for their work: 5 percent more for staff writers, and 3.5 to 4 percent more for some editors.

The WGA says it secured an important concession on what it called “success-based” residual payments. If streaming content hits a benchmark viewership, writers will receive a bonus. According to the agreement summary, a successful project released on or after Jan. 1, 2024, would yield the writer $9,031 for a half-hour episode, $16,415 for a one-hour episode and as much as $40,500 for a streaming feature over $30 million in budget, under the terms of the 2023 agreement.

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