Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP)

Overview

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) is the trade association that negotiates collective bargaining agreements on behalf of major US film and television studios, streamers, and independent production companies. Founded in 1982, the AMPTP negotiates nearly 60 industry-wide collective bargaining agreements with entertainment industry unions and guilds. The organization represents over 300 production entities, ranging from the largest Hollywood studios to mid-size independent companies.

The AMPTP is the management counterpart to the DGA, WGA, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, and other guilds. It sits across the bargaining table from these unions and negotiates the agreements that govern wages, working conditions, residuals, and creative rights for workers across the American entertainment industry. The current president is Greg Hessinger, who assumed the role on April 14, 2025, succeeding Carol Lombardini after her 15-year tenure as president. Lombardini transitioned into an advisory role.

Member Companies and Structure

The AMPTP's membership is divided into tiers. Eight companies constitute the "Class A" members that control negotiation strategy alongside AMPTP staff:

• Disney
• NBCUniversal
• Paramount
• Sony Pictures
• Netflix
• Amazon (MGM/Amazon Studios)
• Apple
• Warner Bros. Discovery

These Class A members make the strategic decisions during bargaining cycles. Their heads of labor relations must reach consensus on proposals before the AMPTP presents them to unions. This unified structure prevents individual studios from negotiating separately, which would allow unions to leverage competing offers against each other.

Beyond the Class A group, the AMPTP represents approximately 300 additional production entities, including major independent companies and television producers. The organization also negotiates on behalf of the major broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox).

The AMPTP is affiliated with the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and is based in Sherman Oaks, California. Key executives include President Greg Hessinger, General Counsel Grant Goeckner, Vice President of Labor Relations Gregory Prager, and Vice President of Business Affairs and Strategic Initiatives David K.

Role in Industry Labor Relations

The AMPTP's core function is collective bargaining. The major union contracts expire on a 3-year cycle, triggering new negotiations. The AMPTP negotiates as a unified management entity, presenting a coordinated position to each union rather than having individual studios negotiate separately. This coordination gives management significant bargaining leverage.

The AMPTP explored proposing 5-year contracts instead of the traditional 3-year cycle ahead of the 2026 negotiations, according to reports from The Hollywood Reporter. Longer contracts would provide industry stability but would also reduce unions' opportunities to respond to industry changes like AI adoption and streaming economics. The unions' current 3-year deals all expire in the first half of 2026: the WGA contract on May 1, 2026, and the DGA and SAG-AFTRA contracts on June 30, 2026.

2026 Bargaining Cycle

The 2026 bargaining cycle was the first under Greg Hessinger's leadership and the first since the 2023 dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The cycle produced ratified agreements with all three major above-the-line guilds:

SAG-AFTRA: Negotiations began February 9, 2026, recessed March 15, resumed April 27, and concluded with a tentative agreement on May 2, 2026. The deal covers motion pictures, scripted primetime dramatic television, streaming content, and new media. The agreement is a successor to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Contracts.

DGA: The DGA ratified its new contract in June 2026. The AMPTP stated the agreement delivers historic contributions to the guild's health plan, wage and residuals improvements, and job protections.

WGA: The WGA reached a memorandum of agreement with the AMPTP, effective May 2, 2026, constituting the 2026 WGA AMPTP Theatrical and Television Basic Agreement. The deal includes a $250,000 payment to a WGA-supervised training fund within 30 days of ratification, followed by annual payments of $275,000.

The AMPTP issued a statement on June 26, 2026, congratulating the DGA on ratification and declaring the spring 2026 bargaining cycle complete, thanking the DGA, WGA, and SAG-AFTRA for their collaborative approach.

Historical Labor Disputes

The history of AMPTP negotiations includes some of the most significant labor disputes in entertainment history:

1988 WGA Strike: Lasted 22 weeks, one of the longest guild strikes in Hollywood history.

2007-2008 WGA Strike: Lasted 100 days (November 5, 2007 to February 12, 2008). Caused an estimated $2.1 billion in economic damage to the Southern California economy. The strike centered on residuals for new media and digital content, issues that became even more relevant with the subsequent growth of streaming.

2023 Dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA Strikes: Both unions were on strike simultaneously for the first time since 1960. The WGA strike lasted 148 days (May 2 to September 27, 2023). The SAG-AFTRA strike lasted 118 days (July 14 to November 9, 2023). The strikes addressed streaming residuals, artificial intelligence use, minimum staffing requirements, and transparency in viewership data. The combined work stoppage halted most US film and television production for months and caused significant economic damage across the industry.

Carol Lombardini, who joined the AMPTP as counsel in 1982 and served as president from 2009 to 2025, negotiated through all three of these disputes. Her approach was described by industry observers as deliberate and traditional, which drew criticism during the 2023 strikes from both union members and some management-side sources who felt the AMPTP's response was too slow. Her successor, Greg Hessinger, brings a unique perspective: he previously served as national executive director for both the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists before their 2012 merger, meaning he has sat on both sides of the bargaining table.

Active Contracts

The AMPTP maintains active collective bargaining agreements with multiple unions and guilds. Current contracts available on the AMPTP website include:

• 2026 SAG-AFTRA CBA and TV MOA (2026-30)
• 2026 WGA Theatrical and Television Basic Agreement
• 2026 DGA Basic Agreement
• 2025 SAG-AFTRA Intimacy Coordinators MOA
• 2025 Majors Agreement and SDPA MOA (IATSE)
• 2024 Majors Agreement MOA (Local USA 829)
• Wage scales for various IATSE locals (Local 161, Local 764, Local 798)

Producers and production managers can access active AMPTP contracts and wage scales directly from the AMPTP website.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For independent producers signing union agreements, AMPTP-negotiated agreements are the floor for major studio productions. They do not automatically apply to independent productions. Independent producers sign their own agreements with each guild at applicable budget-tier rates. The distinction between signing an AMPTP-covered agreement (which applies to studio-level productions with Class A member companies) and an independent low-budget agreement (which applies to qualifying independent films at reduced rates) is essential for producers navigating union compliance.

For line producers building budgets, the current AMPTP wage scales for IATSE locals, SAG-AFTRA, WGA, and DGA are available on the AMPTP contracts page. These rate sheets provide the minimum rates for union crew and cast by classification and budget tier. Independent producers should consult these rates when budgeting for union productions, as they represent the legal minimum under the applicable agreement.

For anyone seeking to understand why union contract terms are structured the way they are, the history of AMPTP negotiations provides the institutional context. Streaming residual rates differ from broadcast rates because the 2007-2008 WGA strike established the framework for new media residuals, and the 2023 strikes updated that framework for the current streaming-dominated market. Turnaround periods, credit arbitration procedures, and minimum staffing requirements all have specific historical origins in past negotiations and strikes.

For producers planning productions in 2026 and beyond, the new 2026-2030 SAG-AFTRA, WGA, and DGA contracts set the terms for the next bargaining cycle. The AMPTP's exploration of 5-year contract terms, if adopted in future cycles, would change the frequency of negotiation-driven production disruptions.

Notable Activities and History

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) is the collective bargaining representative for the major Hollywood studios and streaming platforms in negotiations with entertainment industry unions including SAG-AFTRA, the WGA, the DGA, and IATSE. The AMPTP negotiates the master agreements that set minimum wages, working conditions, residual formulas, and benefits for unionized film and television productions. The 2023 strikes by both the WGA (May to September 2023) and SAG-AFTRA (July to November 2023) were landmark labor actions against AMPTP member companies, centered on streaming residuals, AI protections, minimum staffing, and compensation structures. The 2023 strikes resulted in new contracts with significant gains for writers and actors, including improved streaming residual formulas, AI usage protections, and viewership-based bonuses. The AMPTP's current Class A member companies include Walt Disney Co., Warner Bros. Discovery, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Amazon, Apple, and others. The new 2026 to 2030 SAG-AFTRA, WGA, and DGA contracts set the terms for the next bargaining cycle.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For independent producers signing union agreements, AMPTP-negotiated agreements are the floor for major studio productions. They do not automatically apply to independent productions. Independent producers sign their own agreements with each guild at applicable budget-tier rates. The distinction between signing an AMPTP-covered agreement (which applies to studio-level productions with Class A member companies) and an independent low-budget agreement (which applies to qualifying independent films at reduced rates) is essential for producers navigating union compliance. For line producers building budgets, the current AMPTP wage scales for IATSE locals, SAG-AFTRA, WGA, and DGA are available on the AMPTP contracts page. These rate sheets provide the minimum rates for union crew and cast by classification and budget tier. Independent producers should consult these rates when budgeting for union productions, as they represent the legal minimum under the applicable agreement. The history of AMPTP negotiations provides institutional context for understanding why union contract terms are structured the way they are, including streaming residual rates, turnaround periods, credit arbitration procedures, and minimum staffing requirements.

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See Also

For the unions that negotiate with the AMPTP, see Directors Guild of America, SAG-AFTRA, Writers Guild of America, West, and IATSE in this directory. For current wage scales and collective bargaining agreements, visit the AMPTP contracts page. Use the Indie Film Budget Calculator to estimate union vs. non-union production costs.