09.11.2026 08:50
Increasing costs and the contraction in advertising revenues have left the TV series industry in a difficult situation on Turkish televisions. As production companies have begun knocking on actors' doors to balance their budgets, demands for fee reductions of up to 15 percent have come to the agenda in some projects. It is stated that economic difficulties may affect not only on-screen faces but also behind-the-scenes workers.
The economic bottleneck that has long been discussed in the television world is causing production companies to make new decisions. Due to high production costs, actor fees, and declining advertising revenues, budget calculations in many productions are being restructured. While different formulas are being considered so that series can continue their broadcast life, fee agreements with actors are also being renegotiated. Discount requests that come up especially in high-budget projects are increasing debates about the future of the industry.
ACTORS ASKED FOR A 15 PERCENT DISCOUNT
One of the productions reflecting economic difficulties was the series Haysiyet. According to a report by journalist Birsen Altuntaş, in the series produced by Süreç Film, in line with the channel's budget request, actors were proposed to take a 15 percent cut in their fees. There is not yet clear information on how this offer, which came up so that the series could continue its screen journey, was received by the actors. However, the development in question once again revealed the cost pressure experienced in the television world.
NEW SERIES ALSO AFFECTED BY THE CRISIS
Budget discussions are not limited to productions that continue their broadcast life. It has been learned that in the series Evlat, in which Hazal Subaşı and Birkan Sokullu will share the lead roles, actors who had previously reached agreements were also asked for a fee reduction. The series, initially planned for Star TV and then moved to atv, had also experienced director changes. While preparations for the production continue, the discount offer presented to the actors revealed that projects still in the shooting stage are also affected by economic conditions.
FAMOUS ACTORS REACT TO FEE DEBATE
The increasingly widespread requests for fee reductions in the industry have also become a topic of debate among actors. Names such as İlker Aksum, Özge Özpirinçci, and Burcu Biricik voiced their criticism that the economic problems in the series industry should not be solved solely through actor fees. Attention was drawn in particular to the fact that the limited number of actors who receive high fees and the rest of the industry should not be evaluated under the same conditions.
THERE IS ALSO CONCERN BEHIND THE CAMERA
While fee reductions for actors are on the agenda, the situation of technical crews working on set has also begun to be discussed. In an industry where many people, from directors to cinematographers and from lighting crews to set workers, earn their living, it remains unclear which areas budget cuts will affect. It was claimed that Kerem Alışık, one of the actors of the series Haysiyet, also requested that the fees of technical crew members be protected.
Developments in the television industry have brought with them questions about how the budgets of new projects will take shape in the coming period and under what conditions existing series will continue their broadcast lives. While production companies try to keep costs under control, the responses actors will give to discount offers are also awaited with curiosity.