The Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has established the SAG-AFTRA Producers Success Distribution Fund, often referred to as the “Robin Hood” fund.
This initiative comes two years after the historic 2023 actors’ strike, which was the longest in the union’s history. The fund aims to provide a secondary income stream for performers involved in successful streaming projects, a significant change for those who previously did not benefit directly from their show’s success.
The fund will allow a broader range of union performers, including stand-ins, stunt riggers, and background actors, to share in the financial success of high-performing streaming shows. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this marks the first time these performers will receive reuse payments for their work.
The fund’s creation was a key outcome of the 2023 TV/Theatrical/Streaming contract negotiations, which aimed to address the changing landscape of content consumption in the streaming era. Fran Drescher, the outgoing SAG-AFTRA president, described the fund as a “historic triumph” and emphasized its role in distributing streaming success among a larger group of union members.
While the specifics of the fund’s distribution methodology are still being finalized, it is designed to ensure that 75 percent of success payments from streaming titles go to performers on those shows. The remaining 25 percent will be allocated to a broader group of union members, although the exact criteria for this group have yet to be determined.
With Sean Astin now serving as the new president of SAG-AFTRA, the fund’s oversight will continue under the union’s new leadership. The next round of contract negotiations with studios and streamers is anticipated to begin soon, as the current agreement expires on June 30, 2026.
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