Royalties, Residuals, and Reality Checks | ARC-SLC

CPAs translate fame into cash flow, contracts, and accountability. 

Accounting ARC - Student-Led Conversations
With Harshita Multani
Center for Accounting Transformation

In a special episode of Accounting ARC: Student-Led Conversations, student host Harshita Multani interviews Jeff Frable, CPA, CGMA, a partner at CCK Strategies in Tulsa, Okla.; Aurmaudra Bradley, CPA, president of the NABA Indianapolis Chapter; and video producer Dave Maresca with the Center for Accounting Transformation and CPA Trendlines, about the financial mechanics behind modern entertainment—and the accountants who make the numbers work. 

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The panel opens with favorites ranging from the movie “Back to the Future” to the TV show “Lost,” then quickly moves to the business beneath the screen. Bradley says the shift from box office and album sales to streaming platforms fundamentally changes how talent gets paid and how accountants track performance. She points to the recent labor actions in Hollywood as an example of residual models catching up to platform economics. In 2023, both the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA cited the rise of streaming and reduced residuals as central issues during historic strikes that disrupted production across the industry.  

Frable emphasizes that the profession’s core value does not change. “You do you, and I’ll do me,” he says. Artists and athletes deserve to focus on their craft while accountants manage contracts, taxes, and cash flow.