When it comes to streaming, CNBC, back in June 2019 Why NBC is paying $500 million to stream ‘The Office,’ a show it already owns:

The Comcast company on Tuesday revealed that it has signed an exclusive deal to house the show on its upcoming streaming service for five years, starting in 2021.

The streaming service is set to shell out $100 million per year for the show, even though it’s technically a property of NBC’s parent company.

NBC own streaming service has to spend half a billion dollars for the right of a show they already own. Worse, they outbid Netflix:

Netflix was willing to pay up to $90 million a year for the rights, but NBC topped the bid.

What’s the point? Spend money for a show you already own to show on a platform you decided to operate, whose profitability is uncertain, instead of having another company assume the risks and pay you the almost same amount? The left hand paying the right hand seems to be because of market regulations, but this doesn’t make sense still.

Are they just jealous of Netflix success? If anything this make Netflix less attractive.

workaround in contracts when it comes to streaming.

What the writers and actors want is to not get screwed by Hollywood execs that see just another scheme to make even more money. CNN has an explainer of what the average SAG-AFTRA member makes: 12.7% of the member qualify for the healthcare threshold of $26,470 of annual income (ie make more than tat). We are far from the top earners. Much like CEO are far away from the majority of their employees. It really boils down to the majority of the actors being low income and getting exploited even more because Hollywood saw shiny new tech.