What Actors Earn Per Rerun in 2025
Under the SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Contract, background actors receive a flat rate per airing, typically around $200 to $400 per episode cycle for streaming and domestic reruns, while principal actors earn residuals based on a percentage of the original payment, often between 3% and 5% per cycle for streaming, with higher rates for pay cable and free broadcast reruns. These rates are set by the collective bargaining agreement and are not negotiable on a per-episode basis for standard union contracts. The exact residual formula depends on the medium, license type, and whether the show is classified as a hit under the residual escalator clauses detailed in the SAG-AFTRA contracts sagaftra.org.
For a principal actor on a major network drama that earns $100,000 per episode, a single domestic streaming rerun cycle might generate a residual check of roughly $3,000 to $5,000, while a background performer on the same show could receive a flat $200 to $400 per cycle. These figures are based on the 2023 SAG-AFTRA contracts and the subsequent 2025 rate schedules for digital licensing. The residual is paid by the distributor or streamer, not the production company, and is processed through the unions' residual tracking systems.
How Streaming Changed Rerun Payments
The 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike resulted in new streaming residual formulas that replaced the old buyout model for many digital licenses, ensuring actors receive a percentage of the license fee for each streaming cycle rather than a flat buyout. Under the new terms, streaming residuals for a domestic SVOD license are calculated as a percentage of the license fee, with a minimum residual per episode cycle, and the rate increases if the show meets certain viewership thresholds or runs for multiple cycles. This change directly affects how much actors get paid for reruns on platforms like Netflix, Disney+, and Max.
Before the new contract, many streaming deals paid a single flat fee with no ongoing residuals, meaning actors earned nothing from reruns after the initial payment. The new framework introduced in 2023 ensures that for every subsequent streaming cycle, actors receive a residual check, with the exact amount tied to the license fee and the show's classification. The residual rates for streaming are lower than traditional broadcast reruns but are now guaranteed per cycle, a major shift from the prior buyout structure forbes.com.
Who Pays and How Residuals Are Distributed
Residuals for reruns are paid by the entity that licenses the show, which is typically the streaming platform or the network that purchases the rerun rights, and the payment is processed through the SAG-AFTRA or AFTRA residual departments. The production company submits a report to the union detailing the license fee and the number of cycles, and the union then calculates and distributes the residual checks to the eligible cast members based on their contract tier and role type.
For international reruns, the residual rates are often lower and are governed by separate territorial agreements, with payments processed through the unions' foreign offices or partner guilds. A principal actor might receive a residual from a foreign rerun cycle that is a fraction of the domestic rate, while background actors may receive a flat fee per territory. The residual tracking system ensures that actors receive payments for each cycle, with the exact amount depending on the territory, medium, and license fee reported by the distributor sec.gov.