Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube join forces as the US government imposes regulations on streaming sports matches.

Discussions are emerging within the political sphere of the United States regarding limiting the monopoly of sports broadcasting by Over-The-Top (OTT) video services. To collectively address this and raise a unified voice, leading streaming companies including Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube have taken steps to form a new lobby organization.

According to reports from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and Axios, this organization, named 'Streaming Access and Choice Alliance' (SACA), has been established in Washington D.C.

These companies, strong competitors in the OTT sector, have come together to respond to the growing voice against limiting sports broadcasting rights. In the past, viewers had the opportunity to watch live sports matches on terrestrial TV channels, but currently, with the increasing acquisition of broadcasting rights by OTT platforms, consumers are forced to subscribe to the relevant service to watch a particular match. Especially for fans of American football, basketball, and baseball, it has become necessary to purchase subscriptions to several platforms to watch all matches.

Due to this, severe criticism is being leveled by politicians from both American Democratic and Republican parties, pointing out the high costs and inconveniences viewers have to bear when watching sports matches. Senator Tammy Baldwin of the Democratic party introduced a bill earlier this year proposing to prohibit restrictions on professional sports broadcasting and to provide all matches free of charge on a single channel for local audiences. Furthermore, the House Judiciary Committee, operating under the direction of the Republican party, conducted a special investigation last June to review the antitrust exemptions granted exclusively to sports leagues.

In the face of these criticisms from Congress, streaming companies have also begun to present their views. OTT companies point out that their services provide viewers with more consumer-friendly features such as multi-view options and data analytics. The SACA organization states that streaming platforms actively contribute to bringing sports broadcasts closer to a more diverse audience, and further mentions that these internet-based broadcasts provide consumers with a high-quality, rich viewing experience.