Netflix, Amazon, YouTube Form Lobbying Group over Sports Streaming

Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube have formed a D.C.-based lobbying group to counter scrutiny from lawmakers over the growing cost of streaming live sports.

Dubbed the Streaming Access and Choice Alliance (SACA), the group will aim to “promote high-quality and high-value entertainment experiences for consumers.” The group includes Amazon, Netflix, and YouTube, and will be led by the tech-industry trade group TechNet.

“The Streaming Access and Choice Alliance (SACA) was established to engage policymakers and highlight the many benefits that streaming services deliver to consumers,” the group says on its website.

“Amazon, YouTube, and Netflix — three companies at the forefront of delivering best-in-class consumer and product experiences via streaming — are founding members,” it adds. “SACA will provide the industry and consumers a voice in Washington, D.C., advocating for pro-competition policies that acknowledge the ever-evolving landscape and put consumers and their entertainment preferences first.”

Mike Ward, senior VP of federal policy and government relations at TechNet, said in a statement that the “industry and its customers deserve a dedicated voice in Washington, D.C.”

“Americans want more content choices and flexibility in how and where they watch their favorite programming, including sports and other live events,” Ward said. “Streaming and digital entertainment companies offer audiences better features and value for their money. The industry and its customers deserve a dedicated voice in Washington, D.C., advocating for policies that enable innovation and address the needs of today’s consumers.”

As noted by Variety, the lobbying group comes as lawmakers have increasingly set a critical eye on sports streaming due to rising costs.

“Earlier this year, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) introduced a new bill designed to ‘to stop professional sports leagues from blacking out games for fans, end the complicated web of streaming services and cut costs for viewers across the country,'” Variety reported. “The bill would require leagues to provide local fans with access to all of their teams’ games in one single location (either on TV or streaming) for free.”