Apple advised the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) that its Apple TV Plus streaming platform had fewer than 20 million subscribers, which allowed it to pay decrease charges to IATSE employees than greater streaming platforms, CNBC reported.

Apple has by no means publicly launched subscriber numbers for its streaming community, which launched in November of 2019. But Apple TV Plus has fewer unique exhibits than bigger, extra established streaming rivals like Netflix, which said in August it had 209 million subscribers.

“Workers on certain ‘new media’ streaming projects get paid less, even on productions with budgets that rival or exceed those of traditionally released blockbusters,” in accordance with a press launch IATSE posted on Tuesday. The launch didn’t point out any streaming platform by title, however a spokesman advised CNBC that Apple claimed beneath 20 million subscribers within the US and Canada as of July 1st.

The union is making ready for a potential strike after negotiations with manufacturing firms have stalled, saying within the launch that “the explosion of streaming combined with the pandemic has elevated and aggravated working conditions, bringing 60,000 behind-the-scenes workers covered by these contracts to a breaking point.”

Apple TV Plus has a number of big-budget exhibits on its roster, together with The Morning Show, which stars Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, and Ted Lasso, its shock hit comedy about an American teaching an English soccer membership. Ted Lasso had a big showing at the Emmys final week, taking awards for Outstanding Comedy, Lead Actor in a Comedy for star Jason Sudeikis, and supporting appearing awards for Brett Goldstein and Hannah Waddingham.

The Morning Show reportedly costs Apple $15 million per episode, and lots of of Ted Lasso’s writers and stars have reportedly negotiated extra profitable contracts for the present’s third season. Apple stated in July that it had a web revenue of $21.7 billion on $81.43 billion in income in its third quarter of 2021.

Apple and IATSE didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark from The Verge on Saturday. An Apple spokesperson advised CNBC that it pays charges corresponding to main streaming companies.