The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) has reached an agreement with the producers of Season 3 of “Beast Games.”
The new agreement covers more than 500 production staff based in Greenville, North Carolina, who will receive accrued pay and benefits for pre-production work already completed and will continue to be covered by the agreement for this season and subsequent seasons.
“Ultimately, planning Season 3 of Beast Game brought IATSE together in this challenging production environment,” said Michael F. Miller Jr., director of film and television production. “While jobs in our industry continue to face challenges from predatory employers seeking to take advantage of industry contraction, our members and local leaders have shown they have the strength to come together to uphold standards in the face of repeated attacks on their livelihoods by greedy employers.”
The second season of the competition reality series was produced under the IATSE agreement, while the third season began as a non-union production. IATSE members and local residents from across the United States worked together to organize this massive performance.
The move is the latest in a growing number of organizing efforts in entertainment sectors that have traditionally lacked union representation, including social media, YouTube, video games and visual effects. Workers in these fields face many of the same challenges as “traditional” film and television production staff, including long hours, job insecurity, and limited benefits.
By bringing collective bargaining into these areas, IATSE helps set standards for fair pay, safety, and respect as the industry continues to transition and adopt new distribution models. Entertainment workers interested in unionizing their workplaces can contact organizers by visiting iatse.net/join.
MrBeast, aka Jimmy Donaldson, is the world’s biggest YouTuber with over 402 million subscribers. “Beast Game” became Prime Video’s most-watched unscripted series since its launch in 2024.
