>If Hollywood writers go on strike — a possibility as we close in on the May 1 deadline without a new deal between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) — the impact will be felt far beyond New York and Los Angeles. Around the world, producers and distribution companies, not to mention non-WGA affiliated writers, are closely watching the ongoing negotiations, with an expectation that a WGA walkout could mean a boost in demand for new international content.

>“As with previous WGA strikes, we’d expect there will be an increased demand for content from outside the U.S., particularly from English-speaking countries like the U.K. and Australia,” say Martin Moszkowicz and Oliver Berben of German mini-major Constantin Film, producers of the English-language Resident Evil horror franchise as well as German films and series including We Children From Bahnhof Zoo, which streams on Amazon, and KaDeWe, carried on the BBC in the U.K. and Stan in Australia. “The full impact will depend on how long the strike lasts. The best outcome is a very short strike, since it will limit the disruption.”

>(Constantin has its own history with the WGA. In 2021, the guild briefly ordered union members to stop working with the company following a dispute over residuals and health and pension plan contributions, though the parties eventually settled.)

>Louise Pedersen, CEO of All3Media International, which handles global sales on such series as Amazon Prime’s The English starring Emily Blunt and All Creatures Great and Small, which airs on PBS stateside, said the pivot toward international shows was already evident at the London TV Screenings earlier this month, with broadcasters and streamers looking at international shows as a possible contingency plan.

>“A lot of American buyers were planning for [the strike] and talking about shows as potential acquisitions,” said Pedersen, speaking on a panel at French television festival SeriesMania on March 21. “I suspect they’re doing research behind the scenes for backup lists [should the strike happen].”

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