SAG-AFTRA backs 2026 deal with AI, residual, pension gains
SAG-AFTRA's National Board has approved the tentative 2026 TV/Theatrical Contracts with the AMPTP and is recommending members vote yes for ratification. The four-year deal, set to run from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2030, includes gains in AI protections, streaming residuals, and a framework for merging the SAG Pension Plan and AFTRA Retirement Fund. Voting for eligible members opened on May 14, 2026, and closes on June 4, 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Voting opened May 14, 2026 and closes June 4, 2026 at 5 p.m. PDT, with PINs mailed to eligible members and available through the voting site.
- The agreement includes a framework to merge the SAG Pension Plan and AFTRA Retirement Fund, targeting a Jan. 1, 2028 merger date.
- Streaming residuals rise 5.1% over three years for high-budget SVOD ceilings, while foreign residuals for Netflix, Amazon, and Disney+ increase 5.6% effective July 1, 2026.
- The deal adds a 1% health plan contribution effective July 1, 2026, or 90 days after AMPTP receives notice of ratification, whichever is later.
- AI rules cover digital replicas, synthetics, biometric data, no-scan replicas, and require an articulable business reason for scanning performers.
Why It Matters
If ratified, the contract locks in higher streaming payments, tighter AI consent and bargaining rules, and a pension-merger framework that SAG-AFTRA says will combine the two legacy plans. That matters across the streaming ecosystem because the deal directly touches SVOD residuals, performer data, and the economics of digital replicas and synthetics. The concrete signal to watch next is the June 4, 2026 ratification deadline, along with whether members approve the merger-related provisions and the additional 1% health contribution.
Read full article at sagaftra.org
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