Netflix, Amazon and YouTube unite in Washington to fight exclusive U.S. sports rights rules

Unusual alliance forms as Congress pressures sports monopolies

New Washington, D.C., lobbying group SACA co-founded on the 15th, with members emphasizing tailored services

Netflix, Amazon and YouTube, three powerful platforms that dominate the global streaming market, have formed an unprecedented alliance to counter efforts in Washington to regulate exclusive sports broadcasting rights.

According to The Wall Street Journal and other major foreign news outlets on the 15th local time, the companies, normally fierce rivals for market dominance, jointly launched a new Washington, D.C., lobbying group called the Streaming Access and Choice Alliance (SACA) and immediately began building a united front.

Frustrated fans and fragmented rights deals spur Washington to act

The decisive factor bringing these competitors together is the discussion of limits on OTT sports monopolies, which has spread rapidly through Congress. As major live sports events once available for free on broadcast television increasingly become the exclusive domain of well-capitalized streaming services, consumers are being forced to subscribe to specific platforms to watch the games they want.

Sports fans who follow multiple leagues, including the NFL, NBA and MLB, in particular complain about the enormous cost and fatigue of paying for two or three different services to watch games carried on different platforms. In response, lawmakers from both parties have begun taking serious action, citing infringements on viewing rights.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., introduced a bill early this year that would prohibit restrictions on professional sports broadcasts and require teams to provide fans in their home markets with free access to games on a single channel. The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee also held a hearing in June on existing sports broadcasting laws, which have granted antitrust exemptions only to sports leagues, escalating pressure from all sides.

OTT companies launch major defensive campaign touting tailored data

As Congress’s legislative pressure became more visible, the major streaming companies launched a full-scale public-relations and defensive campaign, starting with the formation of their lobbying group. The OTT industry strongly argues that its sports broadcasts provide fans with more advanced, tailored services, including multiple viewing screens and real-time data analysis that traditional broadcasters cannot offer.

SACA, the newly formed lobbying group, said, "Streaming technology is playing an innovative role by delivering sports broadcasts to a broader range of viewers." It repeatedly stressed that live sports streamed over OTT platforms are the best alternative for ensuring consumers a high-quality, rich viewing experience.