Amid increased federal attention to the shift of live sports from traditional television platforms to streaming services, three of the country’s largest streamers have joined forces in Washington to advance their shared interests.
On Monday, Amazon, Netflix, and YouTube launched The Streaming Access and Choice Alliance, a group dedicated to advocating for “technology-neutral policies that encourage innovation in entertainment — enabling streaming services to invest in a wide range of programming, including live sports,” according to a report by Sara Fischer in Axios. The trade association TechNet, which represents Big Tech companies, leads the alliance.
News of the coalition comes after a summer of politicians and federal officials scrutinizing the shift of live sports programming from television to streaming. The Department of Justice launched an investigation into whether the NFL’s broadcast practices represent anticompetitive behavior that harms consumers. The FCC opened an inquiry into whether the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, which allows leagues to pool broadcast rights among teams and sell in packages to networks, applies to games sold to streamers. Several members of Congress, including Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY), have introduced legislation on sports streaming or otherwise encouraged the federal government to act. The House Judiciary Committee even held a subcommittee hearing about the topic.
Across these federal actions, the through-line has been that placing live sports on streaming services generally harms consumers and makes viewing sports more expensive. The Streaming Access and Choice Alliance appears to be an effort by streamers to change hearts and minds in Washington.
The alliance makes sense in the context of leveling the playing field; the National Association of Broadcasters has long advocated for broadcast television and radio stations on Capitol Hill, including recent efforts to ensure industry consolidation can move forward so networks can keep competing for live sports rights.
The news also suggests that this trio of streamers are serious about investing in live sports. Prime Video, of course, already has major packages with the NFL and NBA. Netflix, on the other hand, is still dipping its toe in the water with a variety of leagues, but expanded its NFL package to five games this season. YouTube also appears to be a player in live sports rights, having already secured NFL Sunday Ticket and reportedly being the front-runner for a centralized local NBA streaming hub as early as the 2027-28 season.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.