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Boom to Bust: How Streaming Broke Hollywood Workers
A timely investigation into the rise of Peak TV and the perfect storm that led to the rapid decline of Hollywood work.
The 2023 strikes of Hollywood writers and actors drew attention to the rapidly changing nature of film and television production. Combining interviews with working professionals and economic and cultural analysis, industry studies experts Miranda Banks and Kate Fortmueller capture the lived experience of Hollywood in crisis. Boom to Bust follows major changes—from streaming services becoming studios to the production of record numbers of series during Peak TV, to safety concerns from #MeToo and COVID—showing how key factors transforming labor and compensation had been mounting for well over a decade. The authors use the strikes of 2023 and their aftermath to explain how studios, creative workers, and workers' unions needed to renegotiate the terms of work. Preparing readers to understand Hollywood labor negotiations, the authors provide a road map to make sense of Hollywood's present—and what comes next.
The 2023 strikes of Hollywood writers and actors drew attention to the rapidly changing nature of film and television production. Combining interviews with working professionals and economic and cultural analysis, industry studies experts Miranda Banks and Kate Fortmueller capture the lived experience of Hollywood in crisis. Boom to Bust follows major changes—from streaming services becoming studios to the production of record numbers of series during Peak TV, to safety concerns from #MeToo and COVID—showing how key factors transforming labor and compensation had been mounting for well over a decade. The authors use the strikes of 2023 and their aftermath to explain how studios, creative workers, and workers' unions needed to renegotiate the terms of work. Preparing readers to understand Hollywood labor negotiations, the authors provide a road map to make sense of Hollywood's present—and what comes next.
315 pages, Hardcover
Published April 14, 2026
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June 6, 2026The authors are academic researchers who study the labor market and economy of Hollywood (which they mean to include films, television and streaming). They take a close look at the 2023 dual strikes by SAG-AFTRA and WGA, but widen their lens to look back on the things that led to the strikes. They look at the rise of streaming services, the influence of new financing models and the rise of AI in media production. The period of time they focus on is referred to as Peak TV (from the 2010s to 2022). During this time, the production of media increased due to the rise of streaming platforms into the market.
The problem is that the streaming model is fundamentally different than the traditional (linear) TV production - shorter seasons that are often released all at once. This was a boom to streaming services and their Wall Street backers, but offered less time on set for actors, writers, and production staff. At the beginning of Peak TV, there was a greater need for employees, and many people rushed to fill the jobs. But when the bubble burst, the jobs dried up and remaining workers either went jobless or settled for less pay and fewer days of work.
The authors also discuss tangential issues, like the effect of the production decline on businesses in Los Angeles (restaurants, rental businesses, etc.). The spike in production at the beginning of Peak TV meant an increase in media programs in higher education, and in training programs for jobs in production. However, these newly minted grads soon ran out of opportunities. The tax-incentive laws in areas outside of LA (particularly in Georgia) further eroded the base of production in Hollywood. The more recent anti-DEI environment also played a role in suppressing employment in Hollywood.
Technology played role in this matter, especially artificial intelligence. The unions and other creatives sought protection from AI replacing their work, but also worked to shield their existing work from being used to train AI.
The story here focuses on a specific time in a specific industry, but it can be extrapolated to other industries and areas of society. New financing models and focus on returns, introduction of technology, and reduced production can and will influence workers in all areas of life.
The problem is that the streaming model is fundamentally different than the traditional (linear) TV production - shorter seasons that are often released all at once. This was a boom to streaming services and their Wall Street backers, but offered less time on set for actors, writers, and production staff. At the beginning of Peak TV, there was a greater need for employees, and many people rushed to fill the jobs. But when the bubble burst, the jobs dried up and remaining workers either went jobless or settled for less pay and fewer days of work.
The authors also discuss tangential issues, like the effect of the production decline on businesses in Los Angeles (restaurants, rental businesses, etc.). The spike in production at the beginning of Peak TV meant an increase in media programs in higher education, and in training programs for jobs in production. However, these newly minted grads soon ran out of opportunities. The tax-incentive laws in areas outside of LA (particularly in Georgia) further eroded the base of production in Hollywood. The more recent anti-DEI environment also played a role in suppressing employment in Hollywood.
Technology played role in this matter, especially artificial intelligence. The unions and other creatives sought protection from AI replacing their work, but also worked to shield their existing work from being used to train AI.
The story here focuses on a specific time in a specific industry, but it can be extrapolated to other industries and areas of society. New financing models and focus on returns, introduction of technology, and reduced production can and will influence workers in all areas of life.
May 6, 2026
Boom to Bust is a timely and grounded examination of how the streaming era reshaped Hollywood labor, and how that transformation culminated in widespread industry disruption. Rather than focusing solely on entertainment trends, the authors center the experiences of writers, actors, and production workers navigating an unstable and rapidly evolving system.
The book carefully traces the structural shifts behind “Peak TV,” including the expansion of streaming platforms into studio-like power centers, the surge in content production, and the eventual contraction that left many workers facing uncertainty. It also situates these developments alongside broader pressures such as COVID-19 disruptions, safety concerns raised by #MeToo, and long-standing issues in compensation models.
A major strength of the book is its integration of industry analysis with lived worker perspectives. By combining interviews with economic and cultural critique, it provides a layered understanding of how systemic decisions at the corporate level directly affected day to day working conditions in Hollywood.
The discussion of the 2023 strikes serves as a critical anchor point, helping to clarify how years of accumulating tension finally resulted in collective labor action. The authors also offer context for understanding how unions, studios, and creatives are renegotiating the rules of work in a post-streaming boom environment.
Overall, Boom to Bust is an insightful and well researched account of labor transformation in modern entertainment. It will appeal to readers interested in media studies, labor economics, and the behind the scenes realities of the streaming revolution.
The book carefully traces the structural shifts behind “Peak TV,” including the expansion of streaming platforms into studio-like power centers, the surge in content production, and the eventual contraction that left many workers facing uncertainty. It also situates these developments alongside broader pressures such as COVID-19 disruptions, safety concerns raised by #MeToo, and long-standing issues in compensation models.
A major strength of the book is its integration of industry analysis with lived worker perspectives. By combining interviews with economic and cultural critique, it provides a layered understanding of how systemic decisions at the corporate level directly affected day to day working conditions in Hollywood.
The discussion of the 2023 strikes serves as a critical anchor point, helping to clarify how years of accumulating tension finally resulted in collective labor action. The authors also offer context for understanding how unions, studios, and creatives are renegotiating the rules of work in a post-streaming boom environment.
Overall, Boom to Bust is an insightful and well researched account of labor transformation in modern entertainment. It will appeal to readers interested in media studies, labor economics, and the behind the scenes realities of the streaming revolution.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews