As picketers gathered in front of Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery locations, outgoing WGA East president Michael Winship said the AMPTP is different than in 2007-2008: “It’s just gonna take a little while longer.”
As picketers gathered in front of Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery locations, outgoing WGA East president Michael Winship said the AMPTP is different than in 2007-2008: “It’s just gonna take a little while longer.”
My take is that the production companies are channeling their inner Joker; it’s not about the money, it’s about sending a message. They want to break the unions, and are probably getting donations from streaming giants and others who want to see unions take a big loss.
This strike is going to last until someone cries Uncle, and both sides are fired up. I hope I’m wrong, but I’m imagining this strike going down to whoever has the most resources.
Media companies have been hemorrhaging money like a patient bleeding out on the operating table ever since Covid and their ill-advised entry into streaming. They have more to lose. A couple of them have a nice infusion of cash following some summer movie blockbusters, but that will only give them a little more runway.
I don’t know off-hand where things stand with the most recent quarterly earnings, but I recall, for instance, WB Discovery lost $200M per week in the final quarter of 2022.