Terrence Howard explains why he's suing CAA

[just444]

Terrence Howard explains why he's suing CAA (Creative Artists Agency), and says he's owed $120 million because of a package deal CAA had with Fox, which resulted in him getting paid $325,000 an episode for "Empire," while the "The Big Bang Theory" cast was paid $2 million to $3… pic.twitter.com/rOiPxiKWSO
- The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_)

Comments

[setsuna16]

First... what the HELL is that hair?

More importantly: I loooooooooved Empire, and you couldn't pay me to watch BBT, but what is this man talking about? BBT wasn't "on fox," unless it was on Fox syndication... and BBT is a sitcom that, by the time Empire had started, was already... what... 5 seasons in, at least? So they were already getting that syndication money, more than likely.

Empire is not a show that has a longstanding syndication shelf life, assuming it's ever really been syndicated anywhere to begin with. Dramas, at least not procedural dramas, just don't get syndicated that much. And that has an impact on how much money you get. Besides, before that first season nobody knew how much Empire would blow up, so it's not like they could guarantee top dollar in case the show got axed after 5 episodes or whatever. Should they have gotten more money once the show was showing those monster numbers? Absolutely. But would I ever expect a show like Empire to pay their cast the same as I would a show like BBT? No. And it has to do with the content, nothing more.

[pciam]

I looooooved the first season of Empire, but the subsequent seasons got worse and worse. :( But yeah -- is Empire even in current syndication? If so - I wonder if it's doing well.

You're right - a lot of dramas don't do well in syndication unless they have cult followings like Buffy, X-Files, some of the Star Trek series, etc. And a lot of those usually have a sci/fi or supernatural slant.

[tsukino]

TBBT is on syndication on Fox currently, though they are playing it less (thank god). I'm hoping in a year or two it will be shifted off or at least on to late late night.

And the TBBT had been on 9 seasons when Empire started.

[tube_fiend]

Yeah, TBBT sold the syndication rights to FOX.

But his point just doesn't track. He is specifically comparing their per-episode pay, as though his agents would help keep his low in order to help FOX pay their TBBT clients more. That's not how it would work.

WB produced TBBT, so they would be who the agents negotiated TBBT cast per-episode fees, as well as their cut of syndication money. I doubt the agency represented FOX or WB in the negotiation over how much FOX would pay for syndication rights. But regardless, FOX would not dictate how much WB pays the cast. They would pay WB however much for syndication, and WB would then split that money according to their own contracts with talent. Regardless of how much WB has to pay their cast, they are always going to be incentivized to want as much money from FOX for the syndication rights as they can get. WB could have been making $100k/episode in syndication from FOX, and paying the cast $2k or $80k. Regardless, FOX is paying $100k.

Also, he keeps referring to the corrupt practice of packaging deals. These were recently banned due to WGA contract terms. Which doesn't change the fact that they were allowed before, and not unlawful.
But packaging deals typically refers to packaging talent within a show. Like the writer/director/star of one show. And how the agent is then paid out. Not packaging multiple shows to a single network by an agency. I have no idea what he is talking about....