Streaming Giants Form Alliance to Lobby Washington Amid Scrutiny Over Sports Rights
Amazon, Netflix, and Google (YouTube's parent company) have established a new policy coalition named the Streaming Access and Choice Alliance (SACA) to advocate for streaming services in Washington D.C. Launched on September 14, SACA aims to promote 'technology-neutral policies' that support streaming platforms' investments in diverse programming, including live sports. The coalition, led by TechNet, a trade group representing major technology companies, also seeks to ensure wider consumer access to content and foster consumer choice. This initiative comes as the Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have initiated an inquiry into the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961. The inquiry is examining whether this law, which permits sports leagues to collectively sell their TV rights, should be revised, particularly in light of concerns raised by FCC chair Brendan Carr about an antitrust exemption potentially directing too many sports rights to paywalled streaming services. The NFL repor...
