According to the International Alliance of Theater Employees, the union that represents television and film workers who perform tasks such as operating cameras and construction equipment.
Apple never disclosed number of subscribers To stream on Apple TV +And launched in fall 2019. Analysts are reluctant to provide estimates, but many say their reach is paltry compared to services like Netflix, Who It claims 209 million subscribers At T2 and Disney+ who claimed 116 million.
The fact that Apple can pay a discounted price despite being the world’s most valuable publicly traded company highlights some of the problems Hollywood workers face as broadcasting replaces linear television and movies. , and angered union members who decide to strike for wages and working conditions. .better.
Under the current contract, big-budget streaming products may offer lower rates to workers if the streaming service has less than 20 million subscribers in the United States and Canada, which is set for July 1 of each. year. A union spokesperson said Apple told IATSE it has less than 20 million subscribers.
The union is currently in negotiations with the Alliance of Film and Television Producers for a new contract. Apple is a member of the alliance, but the alliance negotiates for all of its members and does not create cuts in specific companies, according to a spokesperson for the industry group.
An Apple spokesperson declined to comment on the number of subscribers, but said the company pays prices in line with major streaming services.
Under the current contract, products designed for streaming services are subject to less stringent marketing terms than traditional TV shows or movies, as the profits from streaming are “currently uncertain” and production needs more. flexibility, according to a copy of the contract reviewed by CNBC.
But union leaders argue that broadcasting is no longer a particularly new form of media and that companies that fund streaming production must pay prices closer to traditional media production.
“People working on certain ‘new media’ broadcast projects are paid less, even on products with budgets that rival or exceed those of traditional films released,” according to an IATSE press release. He said this weekNoting that the negotiations are stopped.
IATSE is Prepare for strikeA union spokesperson said the ballots allowing 150,000 union members to authorize a strike would be sent out on October 1.
While new media pay rates are one of the issues currently being negotiated, a more pressing issue is specific working conditions, including long working hours, which worsened during the Covid pandemic. 19, said a union spokesperson. Celebrities and actors started Post messages on social networks in favor of IATSE and a possible strike.
Apple a It said It has spent up to $ 15 million per episode of shows like “The Morning Show” to try to increase its service with premium content. Apple has also bundled free trials with the purchase of new phones or tablets and these trial versions. Started to expire in July, which left many users deciding if it was worth $ 4.99 per month. Apple sold around 206 million iPhones worldwide in 2020, which is a lot of free trials.
A union spokesperson said NBCUniversal’s Peacock and Paramount + had fewer than 20 million subscribers, allowing them to demand job cuts.
A spokesperson for ViacomCBS said the company is not breaking the Paramount + broadcast numbers. NBCUniversal has not commented at the time of posting.
Disclosure: NBCUniversal, which owns and operates Peacock, is also the parent company of CNBC.
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