Writers are about to change everything

This writer strike is going to change everything. Not all at once, but what comes out of the other side of this will be noticeably different than what’s happening now.

Writers are asking for a system that reflects their value. And by reflects, I mean pays. What the networks are hoping for is a slight deviation from the current system. A percentage increase that keeps the writers silent but ensures the system keeps running as is.

Problem is that streaming alone is not a profitable model. Netflix is the only major streaming platform that is profitable, and some of the others don’t even care to be, at least not in their current phase of growth.

I personally believe that streaming platforms messed up from the beginning. They severely undervalued their service and created unrealistic expectations from consumers. Having access to hundreds of thousands of films (or songs) should never have been priced at less than $10. But now consumers are spoiled, and any kind of increase in cost is met with backlash, when, if we’re being honest, the value we receive far outweighs our monthly payment. But we are where we are right now, and writers are demanding changes that would require streaming networks to rethink the current model.

What do I think should happen? I think it’s time for writers (and actors) to show and prove. Show the networks that there’s a different model and prove that it can work. I saw one actor (can’t remember who) say that they would consider reaching out to indie writers to create films that, I assume, would be posted to a platform like YouTube or maybe Vimeo.

Even though that’s not a permanent solution, it does make me think. What would happen if writers and actors bypassed any major platform and just put out their films independently on YouTube. They could still charge. YouTube has films and TV shows that you can watch for a cost. Would viewers pay $3.99 to get unlimited access to a film? How would these films be promoted? Would any of the films be free or would all of them cost?

I actually think that Amazon has the best model. Some of the films on Amazon Prime Video are free, but others require you to purchase (or rent) whatever you want to watch or pay for a specific network that gives you access to a collection of different shows. Amazon also has commercials (ads) as another means of revenue.

That being said, Amazon Prime Video is one of those streaming platforms that, at the moment, doesn’t care about profitability. They operate quite comfortably at a loss, something you can do when you’re one of the richest companies in the world. But Amazon Prime Video also generates more revenue than Netflix. Granted that Video is part of the overall Prime subscription offering, but it’s still impressive. And just because Prime Video is currently operating at a loss doesn’t mean it will always be that way. There is a line to profitability and trust me when I tell you Amazon is walking that line right now.

I’m not in any of these meetings so I’m not sure what the outcome of the writers’ strike will be. What I anticipate, though, is something close to overhaul. Not quite turning the industry on its head, but close enough to upside down that the industry looks and functions much differently.

I’m an optimist, so maybe none of this will happen. Maybe the strike won’t bring about any significant change. But my gut tells me different. Writers are superstars for a reason. Our contribution to culture is wide and it’s deep and we’re asking for fair recognition and compensation for that. Something will change. It has to.??