Sky Deutschland strikes first collective remuneration deal with creatives

Pay TV operator Sky Deutschland has struck agreements with two groups representing TV creatives in Germany on common rules for remuneration.  

Sky has concluded agreements with Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft (ver.di) and the Bundesverband Schauspiel e.V. (BFFS), which represent performing artists and other creatives on fair and appropriate payment for contributors.

The agreement also sets rules for performance-based bonus payments for productions commissioned by Sky that are highly successful for key creatives involved in their production.

The agreement covers remuneration for a defined group of creative contributors to fiction series fully financed by Sky and brought to fruition by German producers.

Trades covered include directors, camera operators, set designers, costume departments, make-up, sound design, animation and set assembly.

The common rule framework does not apply to composers, screenwriters and dubbing artists.

The agreements are the first collective bargaining agreements to which Sky has signed up, bringing it in line with other players including Netflix.

In the case of Sky, the ver.di and BFFS, the various parties based the agreement on a ‘qualified viewer’ model, with this defined as viewers who havewatched a minimu of 90% of the runtime of a show either on linear or on-demand TV. Creatives also stand to benefit from income from international sales.

The agreement, covering productions dating back to 2017, will run for four years.