Three of Hollywood's most powerful talent agencies have joined forces to launch a coalition that wants the U.S. government to force major streaming platforms to spend at least half of their content budgets on independent productions. CAA, WME and UTA are founding members of the American Entertainment Alliance, a new group dedicated to promoting American independent production and reshaping how streaming giants like Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and Disney+ allocate their spending.
The alliance's central goal is legislation that would require major studios and streamers to direct a minimum of 50% of their original content budgets toward indie production. The coalition argues that the current system concentrates too much power and money in the hands of a few large platforms, leaving independent producers, writers, directors and crew members with fewer opportunities to get their work made and distributed.
Beyond the three agencies, the founding membership includes production companies such as Anonymous Content and Blumhouse, bringing together a mix of talent representation and independent production muscle. The involvement of CAA, WME and UTA is notable because the three agencies are fierce competitors in the day-to-day business of representing stars, directors and writers. Their decision to team up signals a shared concern that the streaming economy has squeezed the independent sector that has historically fed Hollywood's creative pipeline.
The push comes as streaming platforms continue to dominate how audiences consume film and television. While the major services have invested heavily in original programming, much of that spending flows to in-house productions or projects backed by large studios. Independent producers have long complained that this dynamic makes it harder to finance, produce and sell projects that fall outside the big-budget, franchise-driven model.
If enacted, a law requiring streamers to spend half their content budgets on independent productions would represent a significant intervention in the entertainment marketplace. It would likely face strong opposition from streaming companies and their trade groups, which have historically resisted government mandates on content spending. The coalition's proposal also raises complex questions about how an independent production would be defined and how compliance would be measured.
The American Entertainment Alliance is not limiting itself to a single issue. As a broad coalition, it aims to advocate for policies that support the domestic production ecosystem, from financing and tax incentives to distribution rules. The group's formation reflects growing anxiety across the industry that consolidation and the streaming boom have weakened the independent sector even as overall content spending has soared.
For now, the alliance is in the early stages of building support for its legislative agenda. Its founding members are betting that a united front of agencies and producers can carry more weight in Washington than any single company could alone. Whether that pressure translates into actual law remains uncertain, but the coalition has already put the question of how streamers spend their money squarely on the industry's agenda.