Netflix Sets Up a $100 Million Relief Fund for the Entertainment Industry Crew Members Who Have Lost Jobs During the Pandemic

On Friday we reported that approximately 120,000 below-the-line entertainment industry jobs have been lost for the time being due to the current pandemic. That’s 80% of the 150,000 members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, the union that has made a plea for funding from the pending federal relief package. But while these workers wait for the government to kick in, Netflix has stepped up to provide them some help.

Netflix announced last week that they would be paying two weeks salary to their crews for the time they’d be off during the shutdown of all Netflix original movies and series, but now they are stepping up even bigger, and setting up a $100 Million relief fund for those in the entertainment industry who are impacted by the pandemic shutdown.

Here’s how some of those funds will be allocated:

Beyond helping workers on our own productions, we also want to support the broader film and television industry. So $15 million of the fund will go to third parties and non-profits providing emergency relief to out-of-work crew and cast in the countries where we have a large production base.

In the United States and Canada non-profits already exist to do this work. We will be donating $1 million each to the SAG-AFTRA Covid-19 Disaster Fund, the Motion Picture and Television Fund and the Actors Fund Emergency Assistance in the US, and $1 million between the AFC and Fondation des Artistes. In other regions, including Europe, Latin America and Asia where we have a big production presence, we are working with existing industry organizations to create similar creative community emergency relief efforts. We will announce the details of donations to groups in other countries next week.

This is a great step-up from the streaming giant. They have the funds, and the people who make the entertainment happen behind the scenes desperately need it. Way to go, guys.