Disney, Amazon, and Netflix Are the ‘New Gatekeepers’ of Media

On the 108th day of the current strike, the WGA goes public with a report on systemic issues with the film and television business.

From Variety:

The Writers Guild of America issued a report on Thursday calling Netflix, Amazon and Disney the “new gatekeepers” of the media business, and calling for antitrust regulators to prevent consolidation in the streaming marketplace.

The report argues that Netflix, Amazon and Disney have amassed collective market power that has driven down wages and limited viewer choice. The guild also argues that the companies have shown they will “abuse a position of dominance” to harm their competitors and that further consolidation will result in fewer writers able to make a living.

“Any mergers in media and entertainment involving significant streaming players should be blocked, including acquisitions of smaller or potential competitors,” the union argues.

Some graphics included in the report:

More consolidation means less competition. Less competition means fewer jobs and lower pay. Additionally, since all of these companies are gripped by an addiction to making “content” based on existing IP, it becomes increasingly hard to produce original material. The spec script market has collapsed (I will be posting an article on that subject in the near future).

This report provides an overall context into which the specific WGA negotiating proposals fit. It’s all part of a larger business scheme which needs saving. The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike is an attempt to do just that.

For the rest of the Variety article, go here.

#WGAStrong

For the latest updates on the strike and news resources, go here.

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