Streamers Form Lobbying Coalition

Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube launched the Streaming Access and Choice Alliance (SACA) on September 14, 2026, as a Washington lobbying coalition to defend streaming platforms as live sports and other programming move off traditional TV. 

The group is led by TechNet, the tech-industry trade association. Mike Ward, TechNet’s senior vice president of federal policy and government relations, heads the alliance. Its stated mission is to push “technology-neutral” policies that let streamers keep investing in entertainment, including live sports, and to argue that digital platforms give viewers more choice and control than cable or broadcast. 

SACA’s public case is that streaming is already mainstream: it cites figures such as 99% of U.S. households having at least one streaming service, more than 90% having broadband, and a 52% increase in sports content on major global subscription streamers since January 2024. The group highlights features such as multi-game viewing, analytics feeds, companion shows, spoiler controls, and on-demand clips as consumer benefits. 

The timing is not accidental. Amazon carries NFL Thursday Night Football and a long-term NBA package, YouTube holds NFL Sunday Ticket, and Netflix has expanded into live sports, including NFL games and a large WWE deal. 

As those rights have shifted, fans often need multiple paid apps to follow a team, and lawmakers have responded. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) introduced a bill to curb blackouts and force leagues to make local games available in one place at low or no extra cost. The House Judiciary Committee and both the Justice Department and FCC have also examined the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, which lets leagues pool and sell rights collectively. 

FCC Chair Brendan Carr has questioned whether that antitrust exemption is helping games disappear behind paywalls. Broadcasters, including the NAB, argue streamers can treat sports as a loss leader and fragment access. 

SACA’s answer is that leagues should remain free to sell rights to whoever offers the best consumer deal, and that regulation should not favor broadcast over streaming. Critics counter that “choice” in practice means higher total cost and more confusion, and that a dedicated lobby for three of the richest platforms will make it harder to keep major events widely available. The alliance is separate from the broader 2023 Streaming Innovation Alliance, which includes studio-backed streamers and has focused on other regulatory fights. 

Whether more platforms join SACA, and how much sway it has over the Sports Broadcasting Act review, remains open.