Amazon joins rivals to form SACA streaming lobby in Washington

On September 14, Amazon partnered with streaming competitors Netflix and Alphabet's YouTube to launch a new Washington lobbying group called the Streaming Access and Choice Alliance, or SACA. The coalition represents the streaming industry as a unified voice amid growing regulatory scrutiny over sports broadcasting.

SACA is led by TechNet, a bipartisan trade association of technology executives. Mike Ward, TechNet Senior Vice President of Federal Policy and Government Relations, leads the group. Ward stated that the mission centers on consumer flexibility, arguing that Americans want more options in how they watch programming, including sports and live events, and that the streaming sector deserves dedicated advocacy for pro-innovation policies.

The coalition forms against active federal inquiries into sports rights. Earlier this year, the Department of Justice opened an antitrust probe into NFL broadcasting practices. Separately, the Federal Communications Commission asked for public comment on sports-broadcasting developments, with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr explicitly questioning whether sports leagues should continue benefiting from the Sports Broadcasting Act's antitrust exemption as games shift from traditional broadcast television to streaming.

Amazon holds the rights to NFL Thursday Night Football, while YouTube carries NFL Sunday Ticket and Netflix continues adding live NFL games to its schedule. Any revisions to the Sports Broadcasting Act or legal changes to how leagues package and sell rights could alter sports distribution economics across all three platforms.