Using a Television Series Producer Agreement + Template

What’s a Television Series Producer Agreement typically used for?

A Television Series Producer Agreement establishes the working relationship between you—the producer or production company—and the entity commissioning the series. 

Whether you are working in traditional narrative or unscripted television, your deal should go beyond basic production terms to address the unique challenges of producing an entire series, including potential renewals, evolving creative needs, and long-term rights management.

A comprehensive Television Series Producer Agreement should create an adaptable framework that can change as the series develops, while protecting all parties' interests throughout the production lifecycle.

Why should you use a Television Series Producer Agreement?

An ongoing television series has a lot of moving parts, and a well-crafted producer agreement helps to ensure the entire endeavor runs smoothly from end to end. Without one, your show could fall victim to rights battles, legal hassles, and other unnecessary conflicts.

First and foremost, you’ll want your Television Series Producer Agreement to establish guidelines for the working relationship between yourself and the platform your show is going to air on. Understanding both sides’ rights and responsibilities is particularly important when managing season-to-season transitions, budget evolutions, and changing production requirements.

The agreement should also seek to prevent misunderstandings that could impact production quality or timeline, while providing mechanisms for handling creative and logistical changes as the series develops.

What does a Television Series Producer Agreement usually include?

There are a number of topics that every Television Series Producer Agreements should be sure to include. Among them are:

Project scope

Series television requires careful definition of scope across multiple episodes and potential seasons. 

Your Television Series Producer Agreement should specify the number and length of episodes you are expected to deliver each season. Many agreements will even lay out terms of potential future seasons, like your rate and/or timelines for producing seasons two and three. These terms are negotiated in advance so that neither party has an advantage over the other if the show proves to be a hit. 

It’s also important to make sure the Television Series Producer Agreement addresses what happens if the scope of the work changes. For instance, does the network have the right to increase or decrease their episode order after the deal is signed?

Services

You’ll want to make sure that your Television Series Producer Agreement outlines the production services that you will be expected to provide throughout the life of the series. 

Generally, this will include series development and pre-production, management of day-to-day production operations, and oversight of post-production processes.

Note that the network or platform often retains control over certain aspects of the series including final casting approvals and creation of marketing and promotional materials, though they may contract you to provide footage or other elements from set that they can use to create these materials.

Deadlines

The production of series television is a complex dance of scheduling and delivery dates, which makes this section of the agreement extremely important.

Your Television Series Producer Agreement should establish delivery dates across both episode-specific and season-wide schedules. You might want to keep in mind scheduling for seasonal considerations, such as holiday programming or special events, while building in flexibility for production challenges unique to series television.

For instance, if the host of your unscripted show breaks their leg or gets sick, what are the steps that will be taken to keep the show on time and on budget? It’s critical to establish these procedures in advance and in writing so that when (and in production it’s always when) a problem arises, both you and the network or platform don’t waste any time debating how to proceed. 

Payment schedule

Series production requires meticulous financial planning across multiple episodes and potential seasons.   

The payment schedule typically outlines episodic and season-level budgets, including how funds will be disbursed throughout production. This is where Wrapbook's platform can save you valuable time and effort!

Our real-time financial tracking tools help producers manage complex series budgets, track expenses across multiple episodes, and maintain the detailed documentation platforms required for ongoing productions.

Risk management

Television series are expensive, complicated productions, and it’s crucial to bake risk management considerations into your producer agreement. 

This should always include standard production insurance requirements and liability provisions, but can also extend to series-specific concerns. For instance, what happens if a location becomes unavailable or local filming regulations change during shooting? 

It’s also a good idea to consider intellectual property protections in your Television Series Producer Agreement. Ongoing series can have complex guidelines for handling spinoff opportunities, merchandising rights, and derivative works that might emerge as the show gains popularity.

Who normally is involved in the contracting of a Television Series Producer Agreement? 

While most networks or platforms will want to use an agreement drafted by their legal department, it is your responsibility to review the terms and negotiate the details.

You may want to do this personally, or, if your company has its own legal department, allow your lawyers to negotiate while keeping you abreast of any important changes or developments. 

Either way, make sure to carefully review the final contract before you put pen to paper! Once you’ve signed, it’s too late to discover any miscommunications or realize you’re having second thoughts.

Wrapping up

A Television Series Producer Agreement is the cornerstone of a successful ongoing production relationship. Taking time to understand and carefully negotiate these agreements helps ensure smooth production across multiple episodes and seasons.

Want to dive deeper into television production? Learn more about producing unscripted TV and current trends in the unscripted market.