Sesame Schedule of Minimums
Sesame Workshop Schedule of Minimums
The Sesame Workshop Schedule of Minimums details the minimum rates of compensation for writers covered under the Sesame Workshop agreement.
This schedule covers the entire term of the 2024 Sesame Workshop contract, but is not a substitute for the Sesame Workshop Agreement. If there is any inconsistency between this schedule and the Sesame Agreement, the Sesame Agreement controls.
If you have any questions regarding the application of these provisions or minimums, or relating to categories of minimums not included in this schedule, or if you have a question as to the interpretation of the Sesame Agreement, please contact Business Agent Mack Harden at mharden@wgaeast.org or at 212-767-7855.
| Sesame Street Rates | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rate | Minimum | Notes | ||
| 5/2/26 to 5/1/27
1.50% |
5/2/27 to 5/1/28
3.00% |
5/2/28 to 4/19/29
3.00% |
||
| Initial Original Minute | $1,456 | $1,500 | $1,545 | For originally-commissioned minutes of content for Sesame Street |
| Initial Reused Minute | $526 | $542 | $558 | For content that has previously been used in another episode or season of Sesame Street. This rate does not apply to reuse of Sesame Street animated inserts. |
| Specials made for linear TV or SVOD – 30 minutes | $19,477 | $20,061 | $20,663 | |
| Specials made for linear TV or SVOD – 60 minutes | $32,462 | $33,436 | $34,439 | |
| Specials made for linear TV or SVOD – 90 minutes | $45,446 | $46,809 | $48,213 | |
| Specials made for linear TV or SVOD – 120 minutes | $58,431 | $60,184 | $61,990 | |
| PBS reuse base | $5,626 | $5,795 | $5,969 | The initial original minute compensation above purchases 12 public television releases of that complete episode of Sesame Street over one year. For additional years of reuse of that complete episode, Sesame Workshop will pay the following percentages of this rate split equally between the credited writers. First year of reuse: 50%. Second year of reuse: 35%. Third year of reuse: 25%. Fourth year of reuse: 25%. Fifth year of reuse: 15%. Each subsequent year of reuse: 5%. |
| Pay TV reuse rate | $811 | $835 | $860 | The initial original minute compensation above purchases three years of unlimited exhibition of that complete episode of Sesame Street on a pay TV service, including its digital equivalent (for example HBO and Max). For each year following those three years, Sesame Workshop will pay this rate for one additional year of unlimited exhibition of that complete episode on pay TV. This will be split equally between the credited writers. |
| Foreign Broadcast Residual | $50,495 | $52,010 | $53,570 | Annual payment for foreign broadcast rights. Split amongst writers according to the determination of the WGA. |
| Additional performance-based foreign broadcast | $2,706 | $2,787 | $2,871 | In addition to the above foreign broadcast payment, writers are paid their share of this amount for each $258,750 in foreign broadcast gross receipts after the first $3,312,000 million of gross receipts in a given contract year. |
| Merchandising Guaranteed Advance | $281,331 | $289,771 | $298,464 | Each March, Sesame Workshop will make this payment, split amongst the credited Sesame Street writers during a given contract year, as a non-refundable advance on the writers’ portion of adjusteed gross revenues derived from product licensing and book publishing. |
| Daily non-writing development consultant rate | $627 | $646 | $665 | Paid to writers for their participation in curriculum meetings, workshops, or seminars during the development phase of a series before production is funded. However, if the writer has been commissioned for a script prior to attendance at one of these meetings, meeting attendance is included in the script fee. If a writer is receiving this fee as compensation for their attendance at one of these meetings, that writer cannot perform any writing services at said meeting. |
| Non-Sesame Street Series and Specials Rates | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid for standalone programs not based on Sesame Street and any live action series not based on Sesame Street. | |||
| Rate | Minimum | ||
| 5/2/26 to 5/1/27
1.50% |
5/2/27 to 5/1/28
3.00% |
5/2/28 to 4/19/29
3.00% |
|
| 5 minutes or less | $2,221 | $2,288 | $2,357 |
| 10 minutes or less (more than 5 minutes) | $4,444 | $4,577 | $4,714 |
| 20 minutes or less (more than 10 minutes) | $6,275 | $6,463 | $6,657 |
| 30 minutes or less (more than 20 minutes) | $12,524 | $12,900 | $13,287 |
| 60 minutes or less (more than 30 minutes) | $19,250 | $19,828 | $20,423 |
| 90 minutes or less (more than 60 minutes) | $45,446 | $46,809 | $48,213 |
| 120 minutes or less (more than 90 minutes) | $58,431 | $60,184 | $61,990 |
| Short Form Digital Content Rates | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic script fees for content primarily exhibited on new media, outreach or education platforms, social media, or where the series or program is for grant-funded distribution. Does not include content made strictly for marketing or promotion. | |||
| Rate | Minimum | ||
| 5/2/26 to 5/1/27
1.50% |
5/2/27 to 5/1/28
3.00% |
5/2/28 to 4/19/29
3.00% |
|
| Short form digital content, 30 seconds or less | $119 | $123 | $127 |
| Short form digital content, 1 minute or less (more than 30 seconds) | $239 | $246 | $253 |
| Short form digital content, additional minutes over 1 minute | $239 | $246 | $253 |
| Weekly Writer Rate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid to a writer working on a week-to-week or term contract basis on a 30 or 60 minute live action program or series that already has a headwriter paid at the rates below. This writer would be separately compensated for any scripts they wrote. | |||
| Rate | Minimum | ||
| 5/2/26 to 5/1/27
1.50% |
5/2/27 to 5/1/28
3.00% |
5/2/28 to 4/19/29
3.00% |
|
| Weekly Writer Rate | $4,375 | $4,506 | $4,641 |
| Headwriter Rates | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid to headwriters of live action programs or series. This writer would be separately compensated for any scripts they wrote. Headwriters and weekly writers of animated programs can freely negotiate their weekly rates. They will receive pension and health contributions on top of their negotiated weeklies. | |||
| Rate | Minimum | ||
| 5/2/26 to 5/1/27
1.50% |
5/2/27 to 5/1/28
3.00% |
5/2/28 to 4/19/29
3.00% |
|
| Headwriter: One Hour / 1-9 weeks | $12,960 | $13,349 | $13,749 |
| Headwriter: One Hour / 10-18 weeks | $10,795 | $11,119 | $11,453 |
| Headwriter: One Hour / 19-27 weeks | $9,715 | $10,006 | $10,306 |
| Headwriter: One Hour / 28-34 weeks | $8,352 | $8,603 | $8,861 |
| Headwriter: One Hour / 35-42 weeks | $7,737 | $7,969 | $8,208 |
| Headwriter: One Hour / 43-49 weeks | $7,433 | $7,656 | $7,886 |
| Headwriter: One Hour / 50 or more weeks | $7,128 | $7,342 | $7,562 |
| Headwriter: ½ Hour / 1-13 weeks | $7,954 | $8,193 | $8,439 |
| Headwriter: ½ Hour / 14-26 weeks | $6,626 | $6,825 | $7,030 |
| Headwriter: ½ Hour / 27-39 weeks | $5,964 | $6,143 | $6,327 |
| Headwriter: ½ Hour / 40-50 weeks | $5,128 | $5,282 | $5,440 |
| Headwriter: ½ Hour / 51 or more weeks | $4,751 | $4,894 | $5,041 |
| Audition Segments Rate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sesame Workshop can commission up to 16 writers to write as many as five “audition segments” each for shows covered under this agreement. This rate is the minimum to be paid for each segment. The writer will own the material they produce. If Sesame Workshop broadcasts or intends to broadcast any of these segments, the writer will be entitled to the full appropriate script fee and it can’t be offset by this audition segment payment. | |||
| Rate | Minimum | ||
| 5/2/26 to 5/1/27
1.50% |
5/2/27 to 5/1/28
3.00% |
5/2/28 to 4/19/29
3.00% |
|
| Audition segments | $947 | $975 | $1,004 |
| Extra Lyrics Rate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Used for “extra lyrics” in songs rather than lyrics within the script. If asked to prepare these “extra lyrics” the writer is free to decline. | |||
| Rate | Minimum | ||
| 5/2/26 to 5/1/27
1.50% |
5/2/27 to 5/1/28
3.00% |
5/2/28 to 4/19/29
3.00% |
|
| Extra Lyrics | $1,629 | $1,678 | $1,728 |