The Directors Guild of America (DGA), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) and the Hollywood Basic Crafts, (Teamsters Local 399, IBEW Local 40, LiUNA! Local 724, OPCMIA Local 755 and UA Local 78) and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), today (1/27) announced the extension of the COVID-19 Safety Agreement through April 1, 2023.
The new agreement maintains the bedrock principles and practical approaches that have kept the industry working safely since shortly after the onset of the pandemic. This extension maintains core protocols in case the current situation rapidly changes while permitting additional modifications reflecting improved conditions in most areas.
Specifically, there are no changes to Part 1 of the agreement, which requires the strictest protocols be implemented on productions occurring in any metropolitan area or county with 14 or more COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 population. At this time, most production areas are working under Part II of the agreement or expected to be shortly, however, should conditions change with a new surge in cases, the proven effective stronger protocols would be required.
The new agreement has the following two specific modifications to Part II, which are the protocols most productions are working under currently. For Zones B & C pre-employment testing is no longer required. Additionally, weekly testing is no longer required for employees in Zone B, however, if an employee in Zone B (or C) has come into “close contact” with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19, the Producer is required to make a COVID-19 test available to the employee upon the employee’s request. There are no changes in the agreement regarding Zone A testing.
In addition, the agreement grants a bank of five additional sick days and no longer requires the COVID Compliance Supervisor to be physically present on the production, provided that a member of the compliance team is accessible at all times during working hours.
Other than these modifications, all other provisions remain in full force and effect. In all cases, the full set of stricter protocols will be reintroduced if there is a COVID-19 surge.
The parties will continue closely monitoring COVID-19 developments.
First enacted in September 2020 after a months-long production shutdown, the COVID-19 Safety Agreement is the outcome of unprecedented coordination and solidarity between the unions and collaboration with employers. The agreement reflects science-based protocols that minimize the risk of COVID-19 virus transmission across the industry’s unique work environments. The protocols have driven a successful rebound of film and television production while prioritizing safety for casts, crews, and industry workers.
ABC will air 6 additional “Monday Night Football” games starting this week with Bills-Jets
ABC will simulcast six more ESPN "Monday Night Football" games, including Monday's AFC East matchup between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets.
The addition of the six games means ABC will air 17 this season — 14 simulcasts with ESPN (including two playoff games) and three games exclusively on ABC.
The decision to simulcast more games was a joint decision between the NFL and Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC and ESPN.
The other added games are Baltimore at Tampa Bay (Oct. 21), Tampa Bay at Kansas City (Nov. 4), Houston at Dallas (Nov. 18), Baltimore at Los Angeles Chargers (Nov. 25) and New Orleans at Green Bay (Dec. 23).
The only two Mondays the rest of the regular season where ABC will not have a game are Nov. 11 and Dec. 2.
ABC had games all 18 weeks last season due to an agreement with the NFL since there was no new original fall programming due to the Hollywood writers and actors strikes. With more games on network television, "Monday Night Football" averaged 17.36 million viewers across ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC, a 29% increase over 2022.
It was the best audience numbers for the league's seminal prime-time package since 2000. The Super Bowl 57 rematch between Philadelphia and Kansas City averaged 29.03 million.
Coming into the season, ABC had eight scheduled simulcasts, including two Saturday Week 18 games and two playoff games, and three exclusive MNF games when there were doubleheaders.
It also continues Disney's move toward putting more sports programming back on ABC. Super Bowl 61 from Los Angeles in 2027 will be on the network and the College Football Playoff championship game will also move to ABC the same year.
More games on ABC will also boost the ratings. Kansas City's 26-13 victory... Read More