In a move that makes a lot more sense now that we’ve seen just how badly the AMPTP got beaten in its contract negotiations with the WGA (where the union seemingly got a version of everything it wanted, including AI protections and viewership bonuses for streaming projects), Axios says that a bunch of the biggest—and a few of the smallest—companies that own streaming services are teaming up to form the Streaming Innovation Alliance a “unified coalition” seeking to protect the streaming industry from “regulatory threats.”
And if you think that sounds vaguely ominous after spending most of the year hearing about the bad ways that the streaming services have tried to screw over actors and writers, don’t worry: It definitely sounds vaguely ominous. As Axios explains, some of the organization’s messaging is specifically about “the power of streaming in delivering consumer choice, affordability, and diversity” and working together with other groups to tell “positive stories about streaming companies.”
It sounds like the goal is PR spin, but with Axios mentioning “regulatory threats” and citing some ongoing government initiatives (like a bill designed to protect kids from dangerous content online that lumps curated streaming services in with social media sites like TikTok), it seems clear that this is a more specific and nefarious kind of PR spin with a very specific target: the federal government. On the one hand, that seems like pretty standard American capitalist shit (derogatory), but the timing of this news—which came out after the WGA tentatively agreed to its deal with the AMPTP on Sunday night—seems… notable.
As for who all has joined up with the Streaming Innovation Alliance, Axios says it includes Netflix, Paramount (and therefore Pluto and Paramount+), Warner Bros. Discovery (Max), Comcast (Peacock), Disney (Hulu and Disney+), Univision (ViX), and a handful of smaller streamers. Apple, Amazon, and big ad-supported platforms are not involved, apparently.