UK actors union Equity has lost its long-running and much-publicized legal case against casting directory Spotlight.
Handing down a landmark judgement in the past few minutes, Judge Catherine Howells dismissed Equity’s claim that Spotlight should be classed as an “employment agency” and should therefore only be able to charge fees that would “be no more than a reasonable estimate of the cost of production.” Had Equity won, there would have been significant ramifications for Spotlight, its business and the wider industry.
The pair entered London’s High Court several weeks back to fight it out following nearly two years of debate that has at times spilled out into the public sphere.
“Returning to the questions which I need to answer in this case firstly whether the Defendant is an “employment agency” within s13(2) of the Employment Agencies Act 1973, I find that it is not and never has been,” reads Howells’ judgement, which Deadline has seen. “The services it provides by way of the Directory and its platform provide an industry valued marketing and promotional tool for performers. It does not provide services for the purposes of finding persons employment with employers or of supplying employers with persons for employment by them.”
Spotlight CEO Matt Hood said the judgement “validates our commitment to providing equitable access for performers to this entertainment industry and allows us to focus fully again on providing a great service to our members.”
He slammed Equity’s case for being a “cynical, performative and expensive legal proceeding against Spotlight as a publicity stunt with the objective of damaging its oldest ally.” “We urge Equity to return to the dialogue between our two organisations that endured for the 97 years prior to this action so that we can continue working together to ensure that performers can benefit from sustainable and fulfilling professional careers, and that they are rightly recognised as crucial to the success of the creative industries,” added Hood.
We have reached out to Equity for comment and will update when the union responds.
Background
Equity’s claim would also have forced “an order that Spotlight state how it assesses” the fees it charges, but this was naturally also dismissed after the judgement ruled against Spotlight being an “employment agency.”
Equity had said Spotlight charges exorbitant membership fees of £198 ($265) per year standard rate and “exploits its monopoly position in the industry,” given that the vast majority of UK productions cast via Spotlight. It alleged that Spotlight has hiked prices by 30% since the platform was acquired by American firm Talent Systems LLC in 2021.
In response, Spotlight questioned why it was being singled out, while Hood pointed out that the firm’s fees rose 9% below inflation between 2010 and 2025. Speaking on a recent Spotlight podcast, Hood contrasted this rise with Equity subs, which he said shot up by around 18.5% this past year and are “about 20% higher than they would have been had just inflation taken them.”
Hood and Equity President Lynda Rooke were the main witnesses at the High Court.
Hood argued against the notion that Spotlight is an “employment agency” but said it is rather a member platform, while Rooke spoke to the “dominant” nature of Spotlight and said it was very different from bodies in other industries like Checkatrade, LinkedIn or Yellow Pages due to this dominance.
“The sole reason I pay to be on the Spotlight platform is to be available to those casting through the platform to secure employment with them or to look for work,” she had said, according to the judgement.
Judge Howells flagged that no regulatory agency has sought to take action against Spotlight even though the law around “employment agencies” has been in force for more than 50 years and conduct regulations for more than 20. Howells also noted the “potential consequences” for Spotlight were it to be defined as an “employment agency” under UK law and therefore be deemed to be acting against regulation, consequences that could have included “prosecution and the risk of substantial financial penalties.”
Hood previously worked at Equity for 17 years and the judge pointed out that “Equity and Spotlight had a successful working relationship for approximately 100 years.” “It is only recently that Equity has changed its stance in terms of whether Spotlight is subject to the relevant legislation,” added the ruling.
The judgement will be a blow for Equity and its 50,000-strong membership. The union is also taking on agents’ commission at present. It is running a campaign looking to prevent agents charging fees that mean actors end up being paid below national minimum wage for some jobs.
