Warner Bros. Discovery Exec Brags That WGA & SAG-AFTRA Strikes Have Saved Studio $100 Million

Warner Bros. Discovery Exec Brags That WGA & SAG-AFTRA Strikes Have Saved Studio $100 Million

During Warner Bros. Discovery's Q2 earnings results call, a studio exec bragged that the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes have brought the company savings in the “low $100 million range”

News
By MarkCassidy - Aug 03, 2023 12:08 PM EST
Filed Under: DC Studios
Source: Via Variety

Following Disney CEO Bob Iger's recent response to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes (you can find out more here), another major studio exec has come under fire for his comments relating to the action taken by writers and actors campaigning for what they consider to be a fair wage.

During today's Warner Bros. Discovery Q2 earnings results call, CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels essentially bragged that the strikes have saved his studio money - somewhere in the “low $100 million range."

However, CEO David Zaslav did follow up by saying that he is hopeful that negotiations ca resume fairly soon (it's looking like early September), and acknowledged that his company does need "the entirety of the creative community" to function.

“We’re in the business of storytelling. Our goal is to tell great stories, stories with the power to entertain and, when we’re at our best, inspire with stories that come to life on screens big and small. We cannot do any of that without the entirety of the creative community, the great creative community. Without the writers, directors, editors, producers, actors, the whole below-the-line crew. Our job is to enable and empower them to do their best work. We’re hopeful that all sides will get back to the negotiating room soon and that these strikes get resolved in a way that the writers and actors feel they are fairly compensated and their efforts and contributions are fully valued.”

"I think all of us in this business are very keen to figure out a solution as quickly as possible. We are in some uncharted waters, in terms of the world as it is today and measuring it all. And so I think, in good faith, we all got to fight to get this resolved. And it needs to be resolved in a way that the creative community feels fairly compensated and fully valued,” he added.

So far, only Sony Pictures has pushed some of its big releases back to 2024, but other studios are expected to follow suit if the strikes continue much longer.

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tRuckRogers46A
tRuckRogers46A - 8/3/2023, 12:31 PM
They really don't know when to shut the feck up, do they?
Origame
Origame - 8/3/2023, 12:53 PM
@tRuckRogers46A - I mean, it's not a good look for the unions that them not working actually saved the company money. Kinda defeats the purpose of a strike.
Nightwing1015
Nightwing1015 - 8/3/2023, 2:01 PM
@tRuckRogers46A - shut up?? It’s an earnings call! It’s literally their job to address the situation here and they gotta say smth
Termin8r
Termin8r - 8/3/2023, 2:59 PM
@Origame - not at all...... there are a LOT of expenditures that go into making a movie. they didn't save all this money off the money that they were to pay to actors and writers alone.

They're saving on locations and crew, all that kind of stuff. Does not defeat the purpose of the strike whatsoever. Not at all.
Origame
Origame - 8/3/2023, 3:03 PM
@Termin8r - considering said actors and writers aren't costing the studio billions like they've been doing, I'd say that's saving the studio plenty.
Termin8r
Termin8r - 8/3/2023, 3:22 PM
@Origame - so you literally have no idea what this is about. cool.
Origame
Origame - 8/3/2023, 3:25 PM
@Termin8r - you really think the poor work they've been producing that's objectively been losing money for the studios should lead to them getting more money?
Termin8r
Termin8r - 8/3/2023, 3:38 PM
@Origame - these studio movies are just that, studio movies. Look at James Mangold. Dude has made nothing but good movies. but then he makes a 300 million dollar legacy sequel for the machine, and now we get a bad movie from him.

only 12.7% of actors in the union qualify for the health insurance. The qualifying number is just over 26 grand. It's almost like writers and actors don't provide great work when they're working on poverty wages....

Guys like you should really know the facts if you're gonna make hardline statements.

Origame
Origame - 8/3/2023, 3:58 PM
@Termin8r - they're by no stretch of the imagination making poverty wages. $1,082 a day is definitely above the poverty line. And that's the minimum.

And these writers and actors are standing behind their projects and attacking fans for not liking them. You can't chalk this up to "from actors then good, from studios then bad".

And I know the facts better than you, since the studios have agreed to compromise a 4% pay increase when the unions asked for 5%.
Termin8r
Termin8r - 8/3/2023, 4:03 PM
@Origame - you do not. 1082 a day does not go on for 365 days. it's project to project. case in point, over 80 percent of actors in the union not making enough to qualify for health insurance, which is $26,000.

Over 80% of actors in the union are making less than $26K. Those are the facts. Cope.
Origame
Origame - 8/3/2023, 4:19 PM
@Termin8r - yeah it's called commission.

But guess what? If you can't work everyday, then get another job. No company on earth can keep paying you year round when you don't work all year. And the only way there's gonna be more employees working year round is by cutting back on employees.

Nope, they're coping. Mostly because the studios are just going ahead and canceling their contracts while hiring AI programmers 🤣
Termin8r
Termin8r - 8/3/2023, 4:34 PM
@Origame - they're not asking to be paid year round. They're asking for livable wages for when they are working.

Man, you just don't get it at all. Or you love the idea of humans being replaced with robots. The willful ignorance is astounding. Either way, hope that troll life does you well.
supermanrex
supermanrex - 8/3/2023, 4:52 PM
@Origame - whats really not a good look is when they run out of new material eventually and got nothing to release to get profits from. that asshole laughing today gonna be the first to go with his bloated salary.
Origame
Origame - 8/3/2023, 5:53 PM
@Termin8r - is $1,082 a day not liveable? And if not, why?

You only based this off of them not making the $26,000 needed for health insurance, but again, that implies more work, not higher pay. And there simply isn't work there for them.
Origame
Origame - 8/3/2023, 5:55 PM
@supermanrex - dude, they're hiring outside of the union. ABC is already doing that.

In fact they're also taking this opportunity to cancel contracts and begin hiring AI programmers.

Also, he's not laughing. He's literally just stating the state of the company.
supermanrex
supermanrex - 8/4/2023, 12:11 PM
@Origame - okay guy. good luck when this site has zero to talk about after everything in the can comes out and nothing is done that is on hiatus now. get ready for a million top ten [frick]ing articles to fill the gap.
Origame
Origame - 8/4/2023, 12:29 PM
@supermanrex - ...did you miss the part about them hiring outside the union?

Besides, if that happens and the site has no content, I'll just move on.
Termin8r
Termin8r - 8/7/2023, 6:32 PM
@Origame - It's not liveable IF YOU'RE NOT MAKING THAT EVERY DAY. Jesus man, get a grip.

There IS work for them, but studios are trying to steal their residuals again. They tried with VHS, they tried with DVD, and they're doing it now with streaming.

You should really read up on all this stuff.
Origame
Origame - 8/7/2023, 7:58 PM
@Termin8r - and the only reason they aren't making that every day is because they aren't working every day.

But do you know what they can do for the days they aren't working?

ANOTHER JOB!

Jesus, it's ridiculous to expect a company to financially support you when they don't even have enough work for you to be full time.
Origame
Origame - 8/7/2023, 7:59 PM
@Termin8r - and no, there isn't. That's why part of their demands is to give them minimum 3 months per job.
Termin8r
Termin8r - 8/8/2023, 3:33 PM
@Origame - Dude, are you being willfully obtuse? These scale actors have to audition for work. The work is there. If greedy fat cat execs weren't trying to steal their residuals, this wouldn't be a problem. are you having a difficult time grasping that?
Origame
Origame - 8/8/2023, 3:59 PM
@Termin8r - so because they do the equivalent of interviews, that means there's plenty of work to go around? Do you even think how this sounds?

And no, they aren't trying to steal residuals either. Streaming simply can't sustain consistent viewers the way broadcasting a show on cable does. We all laughed at disney putting ms marvel on ABC, but if you want them getting decent consistent residuals, that's how you do it.

Also, notice how the people complaining about the money you make based on views are the ones with infamously poorly performing shows 🤔
Termin8r
Termin8r - 8/9/2023, 7:24 PM
@Origame - your wilfull ignorance is astounding. It's like you're trying to misunderstand the point that they would be able to live with residuals.

They ARE trying to steal residuals, now you're just making stuff up to to troll. Streaming CAN sustain consistent viewers. There are a lot of shows and movies that get a lot of streams, like a lot of shows and movies that previously sold well on DVD and Blu Ray. "Streaming simply can't sustain consistent viewers" is one of the most laughably nonsensical takes I've ever seen about this.

Loki got a season 2. If streaming simply can't sustain consistent viewers, why did it get a second season? Because they felt like it? It got a second season because it was a huge hit, that got a lot of streams. They dumped Ms Marvel on ABC because it wasn't doing well so they wanted to open it up to an audience that didn't have to pay for Disney Plus.

This is the third time execs have tried to steal residuals away from working, scale actors. There are plenty of people on shows that perform well complaining about the money, if you care to do any good research at all.

Honestly, the "streaming simply can't sustain consistent viewers" is one of the most nonsensical takes on this matter I've heard yet. Absolutely ridiculous.
Termin8r
Termin8r - 8/9/2023, 7:26 PM
@Origame - It's almost like you can measure streams......

Marvel's “Secret Invasion” Disney+ Premiere Struggles To Pull In Viewers

Loki – 2.5M US households.
Moon Knight – 1.8M US households.
The Falcon And The Winter Soldier – 1.8M US households.
WandaVision – 1.6M US households.
Hawkeye – 1.5M US households.
Ms Marvel – 775K US households.
Origame
Origame - 8/9/2023, 7:35 PM
@Termin8r - 1) you say this, yet disney is specifically moving away from streaming and moving shows onto cable.

2) loki season 2 was already greenlit and being made before season 1 was finished being released. That means nothing. And why do you think a failed series would do better on ABC? It's almost as if it's proven better at sustaining viewers.

3) when has this happened before? And try naming something on cable.

4) its only nonsensical because you have the logical process of an acorn.
Origame
Origame - 8/9/2023, 7:38 PM
@Termin8r - 5) all of these numbers are on the very first day or week of their release. As the episodes just remain there on the platform free for anyone to check them out, fewer and fewer will be there day by day. And since it doesn't have the fomo effect of scheduled programming, this drop in viewership happens pretty quick.
Termin8r
Termin8r - 8/10/2023, 6:03 PM
@Origame - 1: They're doing that for one show. love how you just make stuff up

2: loki season 2 was NOT made before season 1 finished release. It was greenlit, but not made. The Inhumans movie was greenlit, but not made, the greenlight doesn't mean anything until the continuation moves forward. Season 1 finished in July 2021. Season 2 was announced that month, after season 1 ended, and was a huge success. Filming for season 2 began in 2022. Again, you're just making stuff up, and not even doing it well. Also, like I said, and you must have had trouble comprehending, the move from Ms. Marvel to ABC was most likely because it performed poorly in streaming and they opened it up to people that don't have streaming services.

Keep making stuff up, because you have the logical process and industry knowledge of bathroom mold.
Termin8r
Termin8r - 8/10/2023, 6:09 PM
@Origame - https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/star-wars-vs-marvel-which-disney-shows-are-most-viewed-1235122942/

Since you have shown a proclivity to be willfully obtuse, I'll copy some quotes and statistics that you won't want to read:

"Yet a Hollywood Reporter analysis of viewing data for the streamer reveals that those Marvel and Star Wars shows are indisputably the biggest draws among Disney+’s original series."

"Combined, the six live-action shows from Lucasfilm (The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett) and Marvel Studios (WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki and Hawkeye) generated nearly 36 billion minutes of viewing time in the weeks that original episodes aired. All six series remained comfortably in the top 10 throughout their runs, only dropping out in the weeks after their season finales, when they recorded several billion more minutes of viewing (and of course, continued to be watched at levels beyond 10th place in the Nielsen rankings)."

"Of the live-action series, The Mandalorian is the clear leader. Nielsen’s year-end streaming chart for 2021 said Disney+ users watched about 14.5 billion minutes of the series during the course of the year, with the majority (8.4 billion) coming in the eight weeks that season two debuted."

They measured Mandalorian viewership over the course of the year. This whole "streaming can't sustain consistent viewership" nonsense is just that, nonsense. People are clearly streaming some shows quite a bit. THAT is why residuals matter. They're getting streams, which translates to profits for execs. It needs to translate to profits for the actors and writers who made the damn content as well.

VHS paid residuals, DVD paid residuals, and streaming must as well. It's clearly profitable and sustains viewership, as anyone with an above two digit IQ can gather from reading the facts.

Origame
Origame - 8/10/2023, 6:15 PM
@Termin8r - 1) it's never just one show. It starts with one, but more will follow suit. Just wait. You'll see this with she hulk, wandavision, loki, moon knight, etc.

2) I didn't say it was already made by the time season one aired. But it was being made while that season was out. We even have set photos proving that. They were objectively putting money into getting this season made. You don't know sh!t.

3) and of course you ignore every other point.

4) absolutely

5) pathetic!
Origame
Origame - 8/10/2023, 6:18 PM
@Termin8r - the only one following the year was the mandalorian, which was a big deal at the time. Gtfo your high horse. The writers of the mandalorian aren't complaining about residuals. Only the likes of she hulk.
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 8/3/2023, 12:32 PM
Why doesn't he speak upon the failure of The Flash and soon to be Blue Beetle? Maybe instead of focusing on the avenue the company is saving by having the workforce inactive. He should focus on the garbage the studio produces that gets them no revenue. Oh that's right. Hollywood is just a glorified money laundering scheme and the trash they put out is to filter the dirty money through.
mountainman
mountainman - 8/3/2023, 12:42 PM
@SonOfAGif - I’m more and more convinced that these astronomical budgets have to have a component of money laundering in them. Either that or it’s just an insane amount of waste. Most of these productions don’t look like they cost $200+ million to produce. It’s ridiculous.
MotherGooseUPus
MotherGooseUPus - 8/3/2023, 12:50 PM
@mountainman - hey man, been awhile. i know you were having a baby soon? if not already (so congrats) but just wanted to see if you ever got a chance to see MI RD part I or Oppenheimer? and if so, whatd ya think
NicolausCopernicus
NicolausCopernicus - 8/3/2023, 12:54 PM
@SonOfAGif - Or Batgirl for that matter (the matter being money laundering)
NicolausCopernicus
NicolausCopernicus - 8/3/2023, 12:54 PM
@NicolausCopernicus - and tax evasion
Origame
Origame - 8/3/2023, 12:54 PM
@SonOfAGif - ...you want them to prove the workers shouldn't be getting more money by pointing out all these people lost the company? I thought you were pro strike.
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 8/3/2023, 1:02 PM
@Origame - You clearly missed the point of my comment. If the studio is pumping $200 million into a project that has horrible VFX, Underpaid crew and cast, and cast and crew fighting for residuals. Then where did all that $200 million go? He talks about how this strike saved the studio $100 million but doesn't speak upon the losses the studio takes when it makes these over inflated budgets for movies that show no sign of a high budget. The money is going somewhere and it isn't to the people working the project.
Origame
Origame - 8/3/2023, 1:26 PM
@SonOfAGif - ...well clearly that means the cast and crew weren't underpaid.

The median range for writers is between $800,000 and $2,000,000. The lowest is $1,082 a day.
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 8/3/2023, 1:40 PM
@Origame - So explain the writers, actors, and crews that are advocating for pay and explaining their experiences of not being paid a fair wage? You keep bringing up the 1% of Hollywood Elites that make these high wages. Yet those same Elites are the loud vocal advocates for the little guy. I'm inclined to believe them over your fictional reality.
Origame
Origame - 8/3/2023, 1:52 PM
@SonOfAGif - 1) dude, I'm bringing up mid range and minimum pay.

2) yeah, if those elites care so much, why not offer a pay cut so the little guy can get a fair pay?

3) the studios already agreed to a 4% increase when they asked for 5%.

4) explain how $1,082 a day minimum is underpaid?
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