While streaming services rake in hundreds of millions of dollars, many TV stars can’t even afford heating – or are somehow paid in negative figures. No wonder they’re on strike
Back when Home Videotape was introduced, it was so expensive to manufacture the tapes that studios argued they could only pay residuals on 20% of the price they charged wholesalers for. Then it got cheaper to make the tapes. Then it got even cheaper, to make DVDs and Blurays. Then it got essentially free, to distribute on your own streaming service. All the while, residuals are still only paid as a proportion of that 20%.
Julito McCullum, who played Namond Brice on The Wire, has put out a video of him receiving $10.80 for DVD sales of the show.
Back when Home Videotape was introduced, it was so expensive to manufacture the tapes that studios argued they could only pay residuals on 20% of the price they charged wholesalers for. Then it got cheaper to make the tapes. Then it got even cheaper, to make DVDs and Blurays. Then it got essentially free, to distribute on your own streaming service. All the while, residuals are still only paid as a proportion of that 20%.