SAG-AFTRA, AMPTP reach tentative deal as optimism for strike-free 2026 grows

US actors’ union SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have reached a tentative agreement for a new labour contract.

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland

The AMPTP, which represents the US studios in labour negotiations, and SAG-AFTRA announced the deal over the weekend but did not give any details of the new pact, which succeeds the 2023 SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Contracts.

While none of the deal terms have been announced, US reports suggest the new agreement is set for four years and will see the AMPTP make a substantial cash injection into SAG-AFTRA’s pension fund.

For SAG-AFTRA, negotiations are led by national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, while AMPTP president Greg Hessinger leads for the studios.

The agreement must next be approved by the SAG-AFTRA National Board, which will meet soon to review the proposal. If the board approves the new contract, it will be sent to SAG-AFTRA members for a ratification vote.

The actors and studios bargained from February 9 until March 15, before taking a break and resuming on April 27. After talks resumed, the two sides took less than a week to reach a tentative deal.

The announcement comes one month after the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the AMPTP reached their own provisional agreement.

The WGA-AMPTP deal was the first clear sign that there is an appetite from all parts of the industry to avoid a repeat of the disastrous 2023 strikes that shut down much of US production from May until late November.

WGA’s membership has since voted to ratify its new deal, which includes a pay increase of 10.5% over the course of the four-year term, as well as an increase of around US$280m into the WGA’s health plan over the course of the agreement and higher foreign and domestic high-budget SVoD residuals.

Attention will now turn to the Directors Guild of America, which is set to begin bargaining with the AMPTP on May 11.