As Stars Strike, Streamers Debate Shelving Shows

[BluBonnet]

As Stars Strike, Streamers Debate Shelving Shows

In executive suites all over Hollywood, the conversation has turned to whether to air or shelve content.

In the wake of SAG-AFTRA’s July 13 decision to join the Writers Guild of America on strike, television executives, like their film counterparts, have found themselves thrust into this debate. Without any clear sense of how long the work stoppage will last, the question becomes: Do you really want to run through what ammo you have so early in the fight? And, for that matter, is it worth rolling out series without stars available to promote them?

At multiple streamers, discussions are already underway about potentially moving certain fully shot (but undated) series to early 2024, if not simply benching them until the dual strike ends. In at least a few cases, executives say the stars themselves have asked that their shows be held so that they can be involved in both the promotion and the celebration. (Series with lesser-known talent are more likely to stay put.)

“There are lots of discussions happening around how do we make sure that, at least over the course of the next year, we have a steady cadence of content, even if it’s less content,” says one streaming executive, who notes his outlet is more likely to shelve star vehicles. “And if people weren’t starting to have these discussions, what you’d see is continued launches in Q3 and Q4 and then a very, very steep drop-off in Q1 of next year.”