(UnitedVoice.com) – Corporations all over America employ lobbyists to woo lawmakers into supporting policies that are good for their particular business. In fact, there’s a joke about the real power in Washington, DC, being located on K Street, not Capitol Hill. That’s because all of the lobbyists’ offices are found there. Now, several major streaming companies are forming an alliance so they can lobby lawmakers, too.
The Streaming Innovation Alliance is a new trade group dedicated to ensuring federal and state governments are passing policies that positively impact their services. Max (HBO), Disney, Netflix, Peacock, Paramount+, ViX, TelevisaUnivision, For Us By Us Network, Vault, and AfroLandTV are all part of the Alliance roster.
Not only are many of the biggest streaming services part of the new group, but it has some pretty powerful advisers. Mignon Clyburn, the former Federal Communications Commission chairman, is a senior adviser. So is former Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI).
Charles Rivkin, the Motion Picture Association (MPA) CEO, brought the parties together. The Hollywood Reporter reported he said the streamers “provid[e] great value, vast programming choices” and many options for viewers. The MPA is going to work with the new streaming alliance to “ensure federal and state policy propels this incredible innovation forward” and prevent lawmakers from doing anything that would “undermine the value and diversity” consumers are currently enjoying.
Clyburn stated that policies that drag “down streaming would turn back the clock” on the innovation.
The new alliance said its researchers found that the American people do not want regulations in the streaming market, like policies that would prevent them from offering programming that is considered sensitive. A House Energy & Commerce subcommittee held a hearing about streaming recently that has some concerned the government might try to start passing laws to stifle the industry.
Some companies, like Amazon Prime and Apple+, did not join the alliance. It’s not clear whether they have plans to do so.
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