Streaming Giants Unite: Netflix, Amazon, YouTube Launch Lobby Alliance

The streaming industry's biggest players have formed an alliance in Washington to lobby for favorable policies as the federal government reviews the shift of major sports rights from traditional TV to digital platforms. Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube are the founding members of the Streaming Access and Choice Alliance (SACA), which will be led by TechNet, a trade association representing major tech companies.

The SACA's main goal is to push for technology-neutral policies that encourage innovation in entertainment, including measures that allow its members to continue investing in live sports and other programming. This comes as the Justice Department and Federal Communications Commission consider revisiting the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, which gives professional sports leagues an antitrust exemption allowing them to pool and collectively sell their TV rights.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has questioned whether this exemption is contributing to more games moving exclusively behind streaming paywalls. The NFL, NBA, and other major sports properties have expanded their digital distribution deals as tech companies compete aggressively for live events once largely reserved for broadcast and cable.