WGA HBSVOD Streaming Residual Estimator

What Is the WGA HBSVOD Residual?

Under the WGA Minimum Basic Agreement (MBA), a credited writer receives residual payments each time their work is reused — including every year it remains available on a streaming platform. For High-Budget Subscription Video on Demand (HBSVOD) programs, this is a fixed residual, not a revenue percentage. The formula is:

Starting with the 2023 MBA, a separate fixed foreign residual was introduced for global services (Netflix, Amazon, Disney+, Apple TV+), calculated using the same formula but with a foreign subscriber factor.

How to Use This Calculator

1. Select your program length — half-hour, one-hour, or feature. This determines your residual base amount.
2. Choose your writing credit — Written by (100%), Teleplay by (75%), or Story by (25%).
3. Select the domestic subscriber tier for the platform as it was when you wrote the episode.
4. Indicate whether the service is a global platform. Netflix, Amazon, Disney+, and Apple TV+ pay fixed foreign residuals; others pay 1.2% of the foreign license fee.
5. Set the number of exhibition years and your episode count to project a full-season total.
6. Optionally check your performance bonus eligibility — enter hours viewed, runtime, and subscriber count to see if your show meets the 20% threshold.

Understanding the Results

Domestic Residual

Paid annually after the initial 90-day streaming window (or one year for services under 1 million subs). The amount declines each exhibition year as the program ages.

Foreign Residual (Global Services)

Under the 2023 MBA, global services like Netflix, Amazon, Disney+, and Apple TV+ pay a fixed foreign residual calculated with the same base and exhibition year percentage, but using a foreign subscriber factor based on the service's international subscriber count. The 2026 MBA (effective May 2, 2026) raised the Tier 4 foreign factor from 90% to 95%.

Performance Metric Bonus

New to the 2023 MBA: shows and films that are viewed by the equivalent of 20% or more of the service's domestic subscribers in the first 90 days receive a bonus equal to 50% of the combined domestic + foreign Year 1 residual. Views are measured as total domestic hours viewed ÷ runtime.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the WGA HBSVOD residual formula?

The formula is: Residual Base × Subscriber Factor × Exhibition Year %. The residual base is set by episode length in the MBA (e.g., $30,398 for a 1-hour episode under the 2023 MBA with a "Written by" credit). The subscriber factor scales from 20% (1–4.9M subs) to 150% (45M+ subs). Exhibition Year 1 is 45%, declining 5 percentage points per year.

Does having a "Teleplay by" vs. "Written by" credit change my residual?

Yes. A "Written by" credit earns 100% of the available residual. "Teleplay by" earns approximately 75%, and "Story by" earns approximately 25%. These percentages apply to the full calculated amount, so the difference can be significant on a popular series that streams for several years.

When is the first residual payment due for an HBSVOD program?

Under the 2023 MBA, Exhibition Year 1 residual is due 60 days after the end of the calendar quarter in which the 91st day of streaming falls. For example, if your episode drops on November 1, the 91st day is February 2; the quarter ends March 31; so payment is due June 1. Subsequent years follow the same anniversary schedule.

How does the WGA performance metric bonus work?

If a show's domestic views (total season hours viewed ÷ total runtime) in the first 90 days of release equals or exceeds 20% of the service's domestic subscriber count, every credited writer on every episode of that season receives a bonus equal to 50% of their combined domestic + foreign Year 1 fixed residual. This bonus was introduced in the 2023 MBA and applies to releases on or after January 1, 2024.

Are all WGA residuals reportable for pension and health purposes?

Not all residuals count toward pension and health contributions. HBSVOD fixed residuals (domestic) are reportable up to a ceiling, but theatrical residuals, home video/DVD, supplemental market residuals, and some New Media residuals are not reportable. Consult the PWGA Pension & Health website for the current ceiling formula, which is tied to your initial compensation and non-network minimums.

What is the difference between a fixed and a revenue-based residual?

Fixed residuals (like HBSVOD) are set dollar amounts in the MBA — you receive a predictable payment regardless of what the company earns. Revenue-based residuals (like theatrical films or non-high-budget SVOD) are a percentage (typically 1.2%) of the company's actual accountable receipts for that use, so the amount varies with how much the studio receives from the license.

Do subscriber tiers ever change after my episode is written?

No. The subscriber tier at the time the program is written (determined annually on July 1) is locked in for residual calculations throughout the life of that project. If a platform grows and crosses a tier boundary after your episode was written, your residuals are still calculated using the tier that applied when you wrote it.

What about Peacock or Paramount+ — do they pay fixed foreign residuals?

No. Peacock and Paramount+ are not classified as globally operating services for WGA purposes, so they do not pay the fixed foreign HBSVOD residual. Instead, foreign reuse of Peacock content is covered at 1.2% of accountable receipts from that foreign use. Max and Paramount+ pay 1.2% of relevant license fees outside the US rather than the fixed foreign HBSVOD formula.