Streaming competition is boosting the salaries of in-demand actors this network pilot season

Deadline

"As broadcast networks and studios begin go down their wish lists, reaching out to A-list actors for pilot leads, they also are facing anxiety over whether they will be able to land the big names they are after and how much that will cost," says Deadline's Nellie Andreeva. "Because of the proliferation of deep-pocketed streaming platforms that have driven salaries up to $1 million an episode for A-listers on new shows, it has been harder for broadcasters to attract top talent, especially on the drama side. Last season, they raised the salary bar, with Stephen Dorff, Rob Lowe and John Slattery reportedly getting $250,000 an episode to star in Fox’s Deputy, 9-1-1: Lone Star and NeXt, respectively. Additionally, Michael Sheen, Cobie Smulders and Edie Falco reportedly scored paychecks in the $200,000-$250,000 per-episode range for Fox’s Prodigal Son, ABC’s Stumptown and CBS’ Tommy, respectively. With streamers also largely bypassing pilots, making the proposition even more lucrative for actors with series deals, most observers expect $250,000 to be the opening salvo for top talent to do broadcast pilots this season." Andreeva adds that big-name stars also have the leverage to demand shorter seasons, as Smulders did with Stumptown.