Warner Bros Discovery alters upfronts presentation amid ongoing writers strike

In an apparent show of solidarity and respect for the ongoing writers strike, Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) has decided not to have talent appear in-person at their Wednesday upfronts presentation, reported Variety. The move comes as a response to the Writers Guild of America's picket line, which WBD aims to avoid crossing and putting individuals in an uncomfortable position. While talent will not physically attend the upfronts, they will be represented in other ways throughout the show. The event will still cover all aspects of WBD's business operations, demonstrating that the strike has not dampened the company's commitment to showcasing its offerings.

An 'upfront' refers to an annual event where media companies, such as television networks, sell advertising space to advertisers in advance of the upcoming broadcast year.

Also Read: Explained | Hollywood strike - What the writers want

The presentation will feature only executives, including CEO David Zaslav and HBO and Max chief Casey Bloys, who will attend the event in person. An insider told Variety that even before the company finalised its decision to eliminate in-person appearances, some talent had already expressed their reluctance to attend due to the strike. 

The ongoing WGA (Writers Guild of America) strike is the first in 15 years, with unionised TV and film writers taking to the streets to demand better pay from major studios. The aims of the strike are to secure higher minimum pay, more writers per show, and shorter exclusive contracts, and more.

With Netflix and Amazon Prime Video and other streamers emerging as key players, the film and TV space is suddenly crowded, with every major studio jumping on the bandwagon. The wealth of content has led to an increase in the number of series and films that are annually made, leading to more job opportunities for writers. However, this has come at a cost, with writers claiming they are making less than they used to, while working under more strained conditions. 

As such, the WGA is seeking more compensation for writers upfront, since many of the payments writers have historically profited from on the back end, like syndication and international licensing, have been largely phased out by the onset of streaming.

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