As WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes persist with studios having no intention of sitting down and negotiating, Suits writers come out with disturbing details regarding their earnings. Speaking about the uber-popular Netflix show, Nora and Lilla Zuckerman, the writers, explain the insignificant cheques they receive from Netflix’s streaming viewership.
Discussing the difference between a show’s release on television and streaming platforms, Nora and Lilla Zuckerman explain the wage gap that affects the creators. Using the example of a single episode from the wildly popular Suits, writers discuss how they are barely making anything from streaming residuals.
Writers’ Payments Based On Cable Network And Netflix Viewership
The widely popular drama series – Suits, which aired its 9 seasons on USA Network from 2011-2019, faced a major challenge when it arrived on Netflix. Although the show received worldwide popularity and remained in Netflix’s Top 10 throughout the summer, the creators were the ones who apparently got their payment scrapped, and faced their rock bottom.
Following the release of Suits on Netflix, the writers came out stating how they were hardly making anything from streaming residuals, despite the show’s increased popularity and new viewership. Explaining the breakout between primary television release and Netflix streaming, writers and sisters Nora and Lilla Zuckerman discussed the pay gap.
The Suits writers explain how they were previously able to maintain a living throughout season breaks, show cancellations, and hiatuses when movies and series were released on television. However, with streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime taking over the market, the residual cheques started becoming less significant.
Also read: 5 Famous Hollywood Actress Who Have Joined the Actors Strike and 5 Who Haven’t
Suits Writers Reveal Disturbing Details About Creative Paybacks
After discussing the difference between the cable network and streaming platform viewership, Nora and Lilla Zuckerman take an example of a single episode from Suits to explain the wage gap figuratively. Recalling the episode “Blowback”, the Zuckerman sisters clarified, “I received $12,568.57 in residuals. That was back in 2016, where I imagine it was probably being sold internationally and re-airing on USA.”
Further explaining how streaming platforms kill the creative process with low wages, the writers stated, “this year, 2023, where Suits has been viewed for billions and billions of hours on Netflix, I received the grand total of $414.26 on that episode.” Sharing the disturbing details of their creative paybacks, Nora and Lilla Zuckerman make their points amid WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Pointing out the difference in residual pay the Zuckerman sisters call it one of the many issues surrounding the WGA writers’ strike. Claiming how the steaming residuals no longer allow creatives to profit off of their material, Nora and Lilla Zuckerman admitted the writer’s struggles. “When things would air on a network or basic cable…you were fairly compensated for that. And that is no longer the case…All we’re asking for is to go back to the functional way it was before.” the writers concluded.
With Suits outperforming other binge-worthy shows on Netflix, the show writers simply demand a fair share of compensation for their creativity. However, their fate simply seems to rely on the Studios’ negotiation with writers.
Suits is currently streaming on Netflix.
Source: Decider
