AceShowbiz - The leading directors from the U.K. television industry have united to issue a powerful call to streaming services regarding compensation. An open letter, coordinated by copyright management group Directors U.K., highlights the vital importance of royalties as a sustainable income source for directors.

Among the signatories are prominent figures such as Saul Metzstein, James Hawes, and Jeremy Lovering—directors of Slow Horses—alongside Benjamin Caron, known for his work on Andor and Sherlock. Other notable names include Erik Richter Strand, Jessica Hobbs, and Sam Donovan, who has directed episodes of Severance. Also involved are Sam Miller, Colm McCarthy, and John Crowley, the latter recognized for the 2024 film We Live in Time featuring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh.

The letter also features support from directors like Joss Agnew of Poldark, Gilles Bannier who directed Blue Lights, and Otto Bathurst, known for his work on Peaky Blinders. Collectively, these creators are challenging the streaming giants to recognize and fairly compensate their contributions.

Opening with acknowledgment of the streaming platforms’ global success, the directors emphasize that “behind every programme you commission is a director whose creativity, craft and vision are integral to that success.” The letter urges these services to demonstrate their appreciation through appropriate royalty payments.

In the U.K., traditional public broadcasters like the BBC, ITV, and Channel 4 participate in schemes that provide directors with copyright royalties for repeat broadcasts and program sales. While these payments are described as modest, they remain a critical financial resource in an industry known for its instability.

Despite streaming platforms operating in the U.K. for over a decade, the letter points out that none have agreed to any form of residual payment or royalty scheme for British directors. This lack of compensation persists despite directors being legally recognized as original copyright owners of the programs they create.

The letter underscores the contrast between the streaming companies’ eagerness to benefit from U.K. tax incentives and their slow progress in negotiating royalty arrangements. “We want to send a clear message to you all: royalties are a lifeblood for directors, however successful we may be at some point in our careers,” it states emphatically.

Highlighting international comparisons, the directors reference how the U.S., Latin America, and various European countries have established mechanisms for continuing payments to directors through collective bargaining or copyright legislation. They call on the streaming services to provide U.K. directors with the same respect and protections.

The full open letter is publicly available for review, offering detailed insight into the industry’s demands and the challenges faced by creative professionals working in the streaming era.