A new public policy group has been formed in Washington D.C., one that will represent the interests of streaming platforms.
The Streaming Access and Choice Alliance (SACA) launched Monday, with Netflix, YouTube and Amazon as its founding members. TechNet, the tech public policy group, is leading the new venture, with Mike Ward, TechNet’s senior VP of federal policy and government relations also leading SACA.
“Americans want more content choices and flexibility in how and where they watch their favorite programming, including sports and other live events,” said Ward in a statement. “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.”
While Big Tech and Big Hollywood are well-represented in D.C., streaming services are not currently well represented in D.C. The Motion Picture Association looks out on behalf of entertainment companies and studios, while TechNet and other groups work on behalf of tech giants. A previous lobbying group, the Internet Association, shuttered a few years back.
SACA meanwhile will “advocate for policies that expand consumer access to high-quality content, preserve choice, and support the innovative viewing experiences consumers value.”
Streamers, after years of growth, are facing fresh pressure from the public and from government officials, as prices continue to rise and with programming splintered across so many platforms. Sports have become a particularly big boogeyman, with Prime Video and Netflix each hosting exclusive NFL games this season, and with the FCC and broadcasters lobbying for regulators to require sports to be available for free on broadcast stations.
Indeed, the SACA website certainly suggests that the sports push will be a top priority for the group.
“Streaming provides audiences and sports fans more choice and more control. SACA makes sure Washington hears them,” the group’s website states.
David Ellison, the CEO of Paramount, has argued that his quest to secure Warner Bros. Discovery is being done in part so that his company can compete with the tech giants.
