The 2026 SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Agreements contain several stunt-specific changes affecting how stunt coordinators and performers can be engaged and compensated.
Updated 22 August 2026.
Members ratified the agreement in June 2026 by 91.42% to 8.58%. It took effect on 1 July 2026 and runs through 30 June 2030.
SAG-AFTRA · 2026 TV/Theatrical Contracts Member Meeting
Official SAG-AFTRA member information meeting.
What changed for stunt coordinators?
One of the most significant changes is a new multiple-picture or multiple-episode structure that can allow a stunt coordinator to render services across more than one episode in a week.
SAG-AFTRA says the minimum compensation for such an engagement is tied to the applicable theatrical flat-deal minimum and can be negotiated higher. The basis for certain fixed residual calculations under these engagements has also increased.
The agreement additionally provides clearer language around prep work and when a producer has an obligation to compensate a coordinator performing preparation for other episodes while engaged under a single-picture contract.
That matters because much of stunt coordination happens before the camera rolls: research, rehearsals, performer selection, location assessment, technical planning, meetings, previs and interdepartmental coordination.
Could stunt performers finally receive off-camera residuals?
Possibly, but not yet.
The 2026 agreement does not create a blanket new residual for all off-camera stunt performers. Instead, SAG-AFTRA, the AMPTP and the relevant networks have agreed to form a committee to discuss mechanisms for possible implementation and the obstacles to making that system workable.
That distinction is important. The issue is now formally on the table, but a new universal residual right has not been created.
What changed for stunt performer schedule breaks and overtime?
SAG-AFTRA reports general increases to schedule-break amounts affecting stunt performers, with larger increases for the newly created schedule break tied to multiple-picture or multiple-episode engagements.
The agreement also includes general increases to overtime money breaks under the television agreement, again with larger increases for stunt performers working under weekly multiple-picture or episode contracts.
Read SAG-AFTRA’s official 2026 TV/Theatrical contract summary.
Why prep-pay language matters
Stunt coordination is often misunderstood as the work that happens only when action is being filmed. In reality, the quality and safety of the finished sequence can depend heavily on prep that happens days or weeks earlier.
When a contract recognises that prep more clearly, it helps align compensation with the actual creative and technical labour involved in building action.
Why the off-camera residual conversation matters
A stunt performer’s physical contribution can remain in a film or television episode for decades, including in re-releases and streaming exploitation. Yet compensation structures have not always treated off-camera stunt work the same way as visible performance.
Even without an immediate new residual, the creation of a formal committee means the issue has moved from informal advocacy into an official bargaining framework.
What does this mean outside the United States?
These provisions apply to work under the relevant SAG-AFTRA agreements, so they do not automatically establish employment law or standard rates in South Africa.
They are still worth watching. International studio work moves between territories, and American union agreements often influence how crews and performers think about prep, overtime, residuals, safety and professional standards elsewhere.
For a developing stunt market, the underlying questions are universal: how should prep be valued, where does coordination begin and end, and how should performers be compensated when their work continues to generate value?
How does this connect to the new safety requirements?
The contract cycle also includes a mandatory stunt safety-training requirement taking effect on 1 October 2026 for covered performers.
Read our breakdown of the October 2026 stunt safety-training deadline.
Frequently asked questions
Did the 2026 SAG-AFTRA agreement create stunt residuals?
Not universally. It creates a formal committee to discuss possible residual mechanisms for off-camera stunt performers and the obstacles to implementing them.
Did stunt coordinator prep work change?
Yes. The agreement provides greater clarity on when a producer must compensate a stunt coordinator for prep performed on other episodes under certain engagement structures.
When is the 2026 SAG-AFTRA contract in force?
The agreement runs from 1 July 2026 through 30 June 2030.
South African stunt talent for film and television
Sabotage Elite Action Lab represents South African stunt performers, action specialists and movement athletes for film, television, commercials and live productions.
Browse the SEAL talent roster or explore our work.
Featured image: photo by Dimitri Karastelev via Unsplash.