What does Television Agreement mean?
Television Agreement is the SAG-AFTRA contract that governs scripted TV shows, miniseries, and series across network, cable, and streaming platforms. It ensures fair compensation, residuals, and safe working conditions for actors. Whether it’s a daytime soap or a primetime drama, the agreement covers various actor roles, including leads, supporting cast, and guest stars. Actors under this agreement receive residual payments for reruns, syndication, and streaming, ensuring continued compensation as the show is distributed across different media.
Key Points of the Television Agreement:
- Residuals: Actors are compensated for future airings, reruns, and streaming of TV shows.
- Minimum Rates: The agreement sets minimum rates for various roles, including series regulars and guest stars.
- Working Conditions: It provides protections for work hours, safety standards, and overtime.
Negotiation Tips:
- Back-End Participation: For shows expected to run in syndication or on streaming services, actors can negotiate higher residuals or back-end participation.
- Episode Guarantees: Actors can negotiate for a guaranteed number of episodes, even if they are not used in every one, ensuring steady pay.
- Exclusive Contracts: If the production requests exclusivity, negotiate a premium to compensate for lost opportunities to work on other projects.
Example:An actor in a hit network drama earned significant residuals as the show continued to air in syndication and on streaming platforms years after its original run.
Example: A guest star negotiated an episode guarantee, ensuring they were paid for a minimum of three episodes, even though their character only appeared in two.
Did You Know?
Television actors can earn residuals for decades as their shows are rerun or streamed, making TV work potentially very lucrative long-term!
Learn More:
For more detailed information, visit the official SAG-AFTRA Television Agreement page.
