‘Suits’ Is a Streaming Hit – and a Case Study for Why Residuals Are a Sticking Point in the Strikes

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Despite logging 3.7 billion viewing minutes in a single week on Netflix and Peacock, cast and writers on the USA drama won’t share in its monumental success

suits-tv-show
USA Network

With Hollywood’s historic double strike shining a light on who benefits when a show becomes a streaming hit, the surprise resurgence of “Suits” presents a unique case study for a residuals model that actors and writers say is broken.

After its run on USA Network from 2011 to 2019, the legal drama set a new weekly record as the most-viewed acquired streaming title during the last week of June. The drama series starring Patrick J. Adams and Gabriel Macht logged 3 billion minutes from June 26 to July 2, then shattered its own record, gathering 3.7 billion viewing minutes in a single week.

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