Reprinted from Deadline Hollywood by David Robb on February 5, 2021.
The WGA has won its historic campaign to reshape the talent agency business, signing WME – the last agency holdout – to its franchise agreement [Friday]. All the major agencies now have signed the agreement, which will return them to a 10% commissioning business model not seen in decades.
The sides also agreed [Friday] to drop their antitrust lawsuits against each other “in consideration of a negotiated settlement executed by them.”
“WME and the WGA have agreed to a new franchise deal that addresses writers’ core concerns while recognizing the unique aspects of our business,” Endeavor CEO Ariel Emanuel said in a statement. “Writers have been a part of this agency since our inception, and they will continue to be a part of the lifeblood of WME. We look forward to once again serving as their advocates during this unprecedented time in our industry.” …
