UK Directors Demand Fair Royalties from Streamers

A group of British directors, including notable names like Asif Kapadia, Andrew Haigh, and Otto Bathurst, have voiced significant frustration with streaming platforms regarding the lack of negotiated residual payments. Organized by Directors UK, an open letter highlights that over 18 months have passed since discussions were first proposed without any engagement from streamers.

The letter underscores that royalties are a vital income source for directors, regardless of their current success. It points out that countries like the US, and many in Europe and Latin America, have established practices for ongoing director payments. This contrasts with the streamers' approach in the UK, despite their extensive use of UK tax incentive schemes.

Directors UK noted that UK public broadcasters and Sky have maintained a copyright royalty scheme for directors for over 25 years, providing crucial income for repeat showings and sales. This existing scheme, though modest, supports directors in a precarious industry. The current letter aims to pressure streamers into agreeing on a timetable for negotiations to secure the future of directing talent.

Andy Harrower, CEO of Directors UK, stated that royalties represent recognition of the continuing value of directed shows and that this is common practice globally but not for UK directors working with streamers. The lack of engagement from streamers in the UK stands in contrast to ongoing contract negotiations in the US between the DGA and AMPTP, which previously secured significant increases in foreign residuals.