Member Message: SAG-AFTRA Members Approve 2025 Commercials Contracts Agreement

Today, SAG-AFTRA members ratified the 2025 Commercials Contracts with the Joint Policy Committee, LLC, negotiating on behalf of major national advertisers and advertising agencies. The new, three-year 2025 SAG-AFTRA Commercials Contract and the 2025 SAG-AFTRA Audio Commercials Contract were approved by a vote of 96.90% to 3.10%. 

Now that the new contracts have been ratified, commercial performers will see wage increases retroactive to April 1, 2025, and a compounded wage increase of 12.5% by year three of the contracts — a major achievement!

Importantly, these contracts include the strongest A.I. guardrails we've won to date: clear consent, fair compensation, control over performances and prohibitions on using SAG-AFTRA-covered performances to train generative A.I. systems without consent.

These contracts also include $218.4 million in new earnings and benefit plan contributions and boosts in compensation for streaming use — one-year streaming use now pays $10,000 (up from $7,500)! Additionally, an initiative has been implemented to develop an automated commercial use monitoring service. And, the Audio Commercials Contract introduces a new Digital Plus tier covering audio streaming platforms like Spotify and Pandora. These structural updates mean more money in performers’ pockets across both Traditional Digital and Digital Plus usage. And that’s not all: improved disability accommodations, streamlined and strengthened late fee penalties, per diem paid on the first day of work and/or travel, enhanced protections for minors and more. 

This deal was achieved thanks to all of you who participated in the wages and working conditions meetings, attended the informational sessions, asked questions, educated your colleagues, and cast your ballot.

Votes were submitted online and by mail-in ballot, with the deadline of today, May 21, 2025, at 5 p.m. PT. The final vote was certified by Integrity Voting Systems, an impartial election service based in Everett, Washington.

For a full list of the provisions achieved in this contract, along with the year one rate sheets, click HERE. 

In unity,

Katie Von Till
National Co-Chair, Commercials Contracts Negotiating Committee

Erin Fritch
National Co-Chair, Commercials Contracts Negotiating Committee

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland
National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator