The millions of Australians who view live sport via an internet connection could be blocked from viewing events such as the NRL and AFL grand finals, the Australian Open and Olympics for free, under new laws passed on Thursday.

Streaming services such as Amazon, Netflix and Foxtel’s Kayo could outbid free-to-air networks for broadcast rights for Australia’s biggest sporting events, after the Labor, Liberal and National parties passed the Prominence and Anti-siphoning Bill on Thursday.

Anti-siphoning laws protect major sporting events from falling behind a paywall. However, the new bill, introduced into parliament by Labor in late 2023, has passed the Senate with a loophole allowing streaming platforms to outbid local services for digital rights. Most major sporting events on free-to-air television also usually air on free digital services such as 9Now, 10Play, 7Plus, or SBS On Demand.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the government and Coalition had sold out free sport today, doing the dirty work of the Murdoch media and giant US streaming corporations such as Amazon and Netflix.

“Labor, Liberal and the Nationals have colluded to ram through a law that is going to make it harder for millions of households around the country to access sport for free,” Hanson-Young said in a statement on Thursday.

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Despite the claims, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the government delivered its commitment to support access to free sports coverage in the streaming era, by extending the scheme to include streaming services.

The anti-siphoning list was introduced in the 1990s to prevent major sporting events from disappearing behind a paywall with the arrival of pay TV, namely Foxtel.

It ensured free-to-air networks were offered the chance to bid for the rights to broadcast those events before any paid operator had the chance.