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SAG-AFTRA reaches tentative deals with studios, ending strike

Members of the SAG-AFTRA union picket outside the Manhattan offices of Warner Bros. Discovery in New York City. (Photo by Phil Roeder via Wikimedia Commons)

The core union representing Hollywood actors has reached a tentative deal with the companies that operate the biggest television and film studios in the entertainment industry, putting to end a work stoppage that lasted nearly four full months.

On Wednesday, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists confirmed its members were free to return to work shortly after midnight on Thursday after its TV and theatrical committee approved a tentative deal during a Wednesday evening vote.

Specific details of the agreement were not available Wednesday evening.

The deal comes after two weeks of intense negotiations surrounding various terms related to royalty payments and the use of artificial intelligence tools in television shows and motion pictures. The agreement still has to be ratified by SAG-AFTRA members, but it is expected to pass.

The strike started in July, adding to Hollywood’s woes after a similar work stoppage implemented by the Writer’s Guild of America brought production of topical TV shows and in-development movies to a screeching halt. The SAG-AFTRA strike largely impacted the remainder of in-production shows and movies whose scripts were already finished.

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About the Author:

Matthew Keys

Matthew Keys is an award-winning journalist with more than 10 years of experience covering the business of television and radio broadcasting, streaming services and the overall media industry. In addition to his work as publisher of The Desk, Matthew contributes regularly to StreamTV Insider and KnowTechie, and has worked for several well-known news organizations, including Thomson Reuters, McNaughton Newspapers, Grasswire, Comstock's magazine, KTXL-TV and KGO-TV. Matthew is a member of IRE, a trade organization for investigative reporters and editors, and is based in Northern California.

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