Netflix is creating a US$100 million relief fund to help productions that were halted due to the coronavirus (via Variety).
Netflix Relief Fund
- Roughly 120,000 crew members are facing unemployment.
- Guilds and unions like IATSE and SAG-AFTRA are asking federal and local governments for help.
Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos shared the news:
The COVID-19 crisis is devastating for many industries, including the creative community. Almost all television and film production has now ceased globally — leaving hundreds of thousands of crew and cast without jobs.
These include electricians, carpenters and drivers, many of whom are paid hourly wages and work on a project-to-project basis. This community has supported Netflix through the good times, and we want to help them through these hard times, especially while governments are still figuring out what economic support they will provide.
US$15 million will go toward third parties and non-profits that offer emergency relief fund to unemployed crew members and cast. Of that, Netflix will donate US$1 million each to the SAG-AFTRA COVID-19 Disaster Fund, the Motion Picture & Television Fund, and the Actors Fund Emergency Assistance in the U.S. Additionally, another US$1 million will be split between the AFC and Fondation des Artistes.
Further Reading
[Netflix And YouTube Reducing Streaming Quality in Europe to Help Reduce Network Strain]