At the same time, a global economic downturn has deepened its grip.
These huge American corporations suddenly realized they were in a money-losing business.
Spotnitzs summary is reflective of the view of almost every Deadline source interviewed for this piece.
SAG-AFTRA members march in New York City.John Nacion/Getty Images
All acknowledge that these once-in-a-generation tectonic shifts have hit them in some way.
Discovery pulled the plug on originals in a number of these nations just a few months later.
Sources flag this cautionary tale as setting the pace for things to come.
When the U.S. does badly, we all do badly.
(A number of streamers declined interviews for this article.)
In a mature market, the streamers worked out how much they needed.
First, they cut budget and then they cut volume.
A senior exec at an international drama indie concurs with Sunnebo.
The 2007-2008 strikes saw the unscripted sector boom in lieu of scripted, and content licensing flourished.
Things might change when networks look at their schedules and say, We have a gap.
Im respectful of the strikes and wouldnt want to do anything to undermine that.
The landscape for licensing and distribution has therefore been complicated to say the least.
Thats a notion echoed by several in the international distribution community.
This creates a catch-22 when we try and sell to the U.S. during astrike.
Suddenly, the next 12 months look quite bleak.
In the U.S. you pay ten times more for a script and that just isnt sustainable.
The nature of the U.S. strikers demands could also have been a boon for working conditions around the world.
There is way too much TV.
A lot of programs shouldnt have got made and a lot of good stuff got lost in the churn.
We will find a more rational business model to proceed with that will be better for all of us.
