Episodes

December 21, 2022

Sotheby's vs Christie's | The Point of No Return | 2
It’s 1993 and Sotheby’s DeDe Brooks and Christie’s Christopher Davidge, at the behest of their bosses Alfred Taubman and Sir Anthony Tennant, begin meeting secretly to discuss fixing prices in a way that will benefit both auction houses. But as the collusion plot starts to pay off and profits b...
ListenTranscript
December 19, 2022

Wondery Presents American History Tellers: Presidential Assassinations
On April 26th, 1865, Union soldiers closed in on the barn where Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth and his co-conspirator David Herold were hiding. When Booth refused to give himself up, soldiers lit the barn on fire to drive him out, then shot him dead. Herold surrendered and was later executed. I...
ListenTranscript
December 15, 2022

Best of Business Wars Daily | Notes on a Tech Scandal | 6
We're talking about corporate blunders at unicorn tech companies and how they recover — or don't. We're joined by Vanity Fair's Caleb Ecarma, Victoria Song from the Verge and comedian Matt Braunger, who's just released the new comedy special "Doug." Binge all episodes early and ad-free with Wond...
ListenTranscript
December 14, 2022

Sotheby's vs Christie's | Going Once | 1
It’s 1983 and shopping mall tycoon Alfred Taubman buys a struggling Sotheby’s, excited by the opportunity to revitalize the art auction market and increase competition with the company’s longtime rival, Christie’s. But when the 1990s dawn, a slumping economy spells trouble for both auction hous...
ListenTranscript
December 7, 2022

Toyota vs Honda | New Cars on the Block | 5
The car market is changing rapidly. The race for the next big all-electric vehicle is on! American automakers like Ford and GM are ramping up their EV production — but so are South Korean car brands like Hyundai and Kia. So where does that leave Toyota and Honda, who have been notoriously late to t...
ListenTranscript
December 6, 2022

Introducing: The Al Franken Podcast
A five-time Emmy winning SNL comedy writer/producer, joins a four-time #1 NYT bestselling author, a three-time highest-rated national progressive radio host, a two-time Grammy winning artist, and a former US Senator. So, it gets a little crowded in the booth when Al talks public policy and sometime...
ListenTranscript
November 30, 2022

Toyota vs Honda | A Fight for the Future | 4
The Year 2000 is approaching and Toyota’s new boss Hiroshi Okuda’s looking to the future. After years of cautious success, he wants to be bold and take the fight to the world’s motor king, General Motors. And to kickstart Toyota’s new direction, he wants Toyota to deliver the world’s first gaso...
ListenTranscript
November 28, 2022

Amazon Music Presents BACK OF THE NET: 2022 World Cup
The World Cup fun doesn’t end when the stoppage time seconds tick away. Back of the Net: 2022 World Cup kicks new life into World Cup coverage, capturing the wild and weird world of soccer’s biggest tournament. Join Will Arnett and co-hosts Marshawn Lynch, and Samantha Mewis after every match for h...
ListenTranscript
November 23, 2022

Toyota vs Honda | Breaking Ground | 3
It’s the 1980s and the American backlash against the Japanese automobile invasion is growing. With a US-Japan trade war looming, Honda and Toyota need workarounds fast. But Honda’s no longer content just selling small cars with low profit margins. It wants a piece of Mercedes and BMW’s action t...
ListenTranscript
November 16, 2022

Toyota vs Honda | Motor City Massacre | 2
It’s the 1960s and Honda’s about to speed into the car market before Japan’s government can put up legal roadblocks to stop it. Meanwhile,Toyota’s already zooming ahead. Its latest models are about to take Japan by storm and arm it with the funds it needs to make another run at the U.S.A. B...
ListenTranscript
November 14, 2022

Wondery Presents: This Job is History
Where the oddest jobs from the past meet a comedian from the present… and it’s awkward! On this weekly show, Chris Parnell (SNL, Rick and Morty) welcomes guests who have held some of human history’s most unexpected and downright bizarre jobs: funeral clowns, garden hermits, VHS clerks, and eve...
ListenTranscript
November 10, 2022

The Best of Business Wars Daily | Sticker Shock | 6
We're tracking the seismic shifts in the car industry from scarce car chips to the impact of inflation. On this episode, we're joined by Wall Street Journal reporter Sean McLain and comedian Kurt Braunohler, who's just released the new comedy special " Perfectly Stupid ." Binge all episodes early ...
ListenTranscript
November 9, 2022

Toyota vs Honda | Out of the Wreckage | 1
It’s 1945. Japan lies in ruins in the aftermath of World War II. The population’s starving, the cities are reduced to rubble, and the nation’s defeated. But from the war-torn wreckage, two motor giants are about to rise. The first is Toyota. It’s the brainchild of Kiichiro Toyoda, the big-dream...
ListenTranscript
November 2, 2022

Taco Bell vs Chipotle | Taco Talk | 5
Are you Team Taco Bell or Team Chipotle? The two fast food giants are competing for the hearts (and stomachs) of their consumers, as well as the coveted Gen Z market. On today’s show, Mary Meisenzahl, a fast food reporter from Business Insider joins us to weigh in on which brand is pulling ahead. S...
ListenTranscript
November 1, 2022

Amazon Music Presents MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark, and Mysterious Stories
A hiker terrorized for days by two unknown figures… A man stalked through the woods while camping, who barely escaped with his life… two cops who quit their job at a local theater because of unexplained encounters with an alleged demon… These are just some of the unbelievable cases you’ll hear on ...
ListenTranscript
October 26, 2022

Taco Bell vs Chipotle | Going Loco | 4
It's 2009 and with its 50th anniversary closing in fast, Taco Bell is hunting for ways to reconnect with the young people who gobble up most of the nation's fast food. But with the new wave of fast-food chains led by Chipotle challenging legacy brands like McDonald's and Taco Bell, the taco kin...
ListenTranscript
October 19, 2022

Taco Bell vs Chipotle | Where's the Beef? | 3
It's the late '90s and Chipotle founder Steve Ells is using McDonald's millions to make his burrito chain a national giant. But as he scales up, he finds himself looking for a way to escape the fast-food machine he's hitched a ride on. But while Chipotle gathers speed, Taco Bell's hoping to keep i...
ListenTranscript
October 14, 2022

Introducing: The Great Creators with Guy Raz
The Great Creators with Guy Raz  is a weekly podcast in which Guy and those at the top of their game talk about creativity, how they came to master their craft and how they became successful in life. In a recent episode, Guy interviewed actor, comedian and talk show host Stephen Colbert. The...
ListenTranscript
October 12, 2022

Taco Bell vs Chipotle | Bellwether | 2
It's the 1950s and just down the road from the original McDonald's in San Bernardino, a Californian entrepreneur named Glen Bell is chasing a fast-food fortune. But with the burger wars heating up, Bell embarks on a bold venture to turn the taco from an exotic mystery into a fast-food munchie t...
ListenTranscript
October 6, 2022

Best of Business Wars Daily | The Power of Nuggets | 5
The fast food industry is raking it in, but they still have to feed the beast. We bite into how they create hype in order to boost sales and capture our ever-scattered attention, before we drive on past them. On this episode, we're joined by Heather Haddon, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, a...
ListenTranscript
October 5, 2022

Taco Bell vs Chipotle | Demolition Man | 1
It's 1984 and Taco Bell CEO John Martin's looking for a fight. The PepsiCo-owned chain might be America's número uno when it comes to Mexican fast-food, but growth is tepid. So Martin's on a mission to convince a skeptical nation to put down their Big Macs and eat tacos and burritos instead. But e...
ListenTranscript
September 28, 2022

Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun | Breaking Down the Big Machine | 4
It’s safe to say that Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun are…never, ever, getting back together. Taking us inside their battle is Chris Willman , senior music writer at Variety, who’s covered Taylor since her early days as an up-and-coming young artist on the country music scene. Later, we’ll dive...
ListenTranscript
September 21, 2022

Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun | Revenge of the Swifties | 3
By 2019, Taylor Swift's battle to get her masters back from Scooter Braun has gone public. She decides to fight by deploying her own, very dangerous weapon -- the Swifties. And Braun pulls out all the stops to protect his $300 million asset. Binge all episodes early and ad-free with Wondery+. Join...
ListenTranscript
September 14, 2022

Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun | Bad Blood | 2
By 2014, Taylor Swift has spread her wings into pop. But as her self-confidence grows, so does her discontent with her label. So she makes a bold move. Meanwhile, mega-manager Scooter Braun sees a business opportunity in Swift's early masters. The problem is, Swift has serious beef with Braun and h...
ListenTranscript
September 12, 2022

Wondery Presents: Fast & Loose: F1®
If you’re just watching the race, you’re doing it wrong! Fast & Loose: F1® is where the world of Formula 1 collides with comedian Will Arnett for his hilarious and shockingly insightful commentary immediately following the checkered flag. After each race, Will is joined by F1 legend Mika Hakkin...
ListenTranscript
September 8, 2022

Best of Business Wars Daily | An Unfinished Song | 6
While music streaming platforms have exploded, many critics argue the status quo isn't working for artists. We're taking a deep dive into the music industry, exploring the relationship between artists, labels, fans and the internet. On this episode, we're joined by music journalists Brittany Spanos...
ListenTranscript
September 7, 2022

Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun | On the Outside | 1
When Taylor Swift signed to an upstart country label as a teen, she probably didn't realize that she was signing away the rights to something she would spend decades getting back -- her masters. Swift’s fight for her $300 million master recordings is a scrimmage that could reshuffle the entire busi...
ListenTranscript
August 31, 2022

The Battle for Paramount Pictures | Reinventing an Empire | 5
Can the former crown jewel of Hollywood keep up in the age of the streaming giants? To understand Paramount’s future, you’ve got to understand its past. So today, we’re throwing it back with Doug Herzog, a former executive at Paramount’s parent company Viacom. Doug greenlit some of cable’s biggest ...
ListenTranscript
August 24, 2022

The Battle for Paramount Pictures | Down to the Wire | 4
It’s Christmas 1993. The bidding war for Paramount is underway and QVC is far out in front. But Viacom owner Sumner Redstone’s not giving in. He’s trying to engineer a merger with Blockbuster that will arm him with the billions he needs to catch up with QVC. But Blockbuster chairman Wayne Huizeng...
ListenTranscript
August 17, 2022

The Battle for Paramount Pictures | Under Siege | 3
It’s the fall of 1993 and Viacom owner Sumner Redstone thinks he’s got Paramount all sown up. But QVC chief Barry Diller is about to launch a counter-strike and ignite an all-out war for control of the movie and publishing giant. And as the fight intensifies, both men are depending on their partn...
ListenTranscript
August 10, 2022

The Battle for Paramount Pictures | Hidden Agendas | 2
It’s summer 1993 and QVC boss Barry Diller is ready to pull the trigger on his hostile takeover to buy Paramount. But he’s about to find he's got an enemy in his ranks who’s playing both sides. And while Diller tries to get his bid back on track, Paramount chairman Martin Davis is getting cosy wi...
ListenTranscript
August 4, 2022

Best of Business Wars Daily | That's Showbiz | 6
Streaming services are having to get creative to keep our attention amid a sea of competition — from big-screen movies to video games to each other. On this episode, we're joined by Matt Patches, Deputy editor at Vox Media’s Polygon and Clay Keller, host and producer of the ScreenDrafts podcast to ...
ListenTranscript
August 3, 2022

The Battle for Paramount Pictures | Killer on the Loose | 1
It’s early 1993 and television’s about to make a quantum leap into a multi-channel world where viewers can access movies from the comfort of their own sofa. But with Hollywood’s movie studios set to clean up in this new world, every media player wants a film factory to call their own. Including H...
ListenTranscript
July 27, 2022

Gucci vs Louis Vuitton | Fashion Forward | 5
Gucci and Louis Vuitton are still the crème de la crème in high fashion. But between shifting consumer values, TikTok and Gen Z, these brands have a lot of work to do to keep up — if they don’t want to end up sooo last season. It’s a glamorous world in the middle of a transformation. That’s why we...
ListenTranscript
July 21, 2022

Wondery Presents American Scandal: The DuPont Chemical Coverup
By the mid-20th century, industrial chemicals were being used to produce a dizzying array of goods. Products made with wood or steel were replaced with plastic. And Americans gained access to a bounty of inexpensive products made with synthetic materials—from the polyester used in sweaters, to the ...
ListenTranscript
July 20, 2022

Gucci vs Louis Vuitton | The Dom-Tom Bomb | 4
Bernard Arnault makes his move to buy Gucci, but Domenico De Sole fights back with everything he’s got, making a surprisingly worthy adversary for the so-called Wolf in Cashmere. But in an effort to stave off Arnault’s advances, De Sole makes a deal with a devil. And both Louis Vuitton and Gucci ha...
ListenTranscript
July 13, 2022

Gucci vs Louis Vuitton | Ready-to-Wear | 3
Maurizio Gucci is out, and now for the first time since its founding, Gucci isn’t being run by a Gucc.i. At the top is CEO Domenico De Sole and his right hand man is exciting young fashion designer Tom Ford. Together the two of them make Gucci the hottest fashion and accessory company in the world....
ListenTranscript
July 6, 2022

Gucci vs Louis Vuitton | The Wolf in Cashmere | 2
Now merged with luxury drinks company Moët Hennessy, Louis Vuitton finds itself being squeezed out, overpowered in the merger. In an attempt to regain control, Louis Vuitton’s CEO forms an alliance with Bernard Arnault, one of France’s most ambitious businessmen. Louis Vuitton hopes that Arnault wi...
ListenTranscript
June 30, 2022

Best of Business Wars Daily | Wardrobe Changes | 8
Big fashion brands are trying to diversify their customer base, and also lure consumers to tailored in-person shopping experiences — but it doesn't always go as planned. On this episode, we're joined by Alana Hope Levinson, a freelance culture writer and editor and host of the west coast style...
ListenTranscript
June 29, 2022

Gucci vs Louis Vuitton | All in the Family | 1
For decades Gucci and Louis Vuitton dominated the luxury accessory markets. Their bags and shoes were status symbols, sported by celebrities and royalty around the globe. But by the 1970s both companies were struggling. Louis Vuitton was being run by the great-grandsons of the company’s founder. Th...
ListenTranscript
June 22, 2022

Häagen-Dazs vs Ben & Jerry's | The New Tastemakers | 7
Haagen Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s revolutionized the ice cream industry by raising the standard for the frozen treat and pioneering new styles and flavors. Now, new ice cream mavericks are on the scene, raising both the caliber and cost of pints. Be prepared to get hungry as food journalist Cha...
ListenTranscript
June 15, 2022

Häagen-Dazs vs Ben & Jerry's | Breaking the Ice | 6
It's the year 2000 and Ben & Jerry's is under new ownership. But as promises that were made before the sale get broken, employees wonder if the brand's values can survive the new regime. Meanwhile, Häagen-Dazs finds itself wrestling with how to move with the times while staying true to the bran...
ListenTranscript
June 8, 2022

Häagen-Dazs vs Ben & Jerry's | Hunger Games | 5
It's 1998 and Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's are now tasty targets in the global ice cream war between Unilever and Nestlé. As these multi-billion-dollar consumer goods giants move in, the U.S. ice cream market enters a state of churn. Enemies turn to allies, friends become foes, alliances shatt...
ListenTranscript
June 1, 2022

Encore: Häagen-Dazs vs Ben & Jerry's | Trading Licks | 4
It's the dawn of the 1990s and with America under its spell, Häagen-Dazs is eyeing the millions to be made in Europe and Asia. But back in the USA, Ben & Jerry's is about to undergo a major growth spurt thanks to its latest flavor sensation. And with Ben & Jerry's scooping up customers fast...
ListenTranscript
May 25, 2022

Encore: Häagen-Dazs vs Ben & Jerry's | Doughboys and Dead Heads | 3
It's 1984 and Ben & Jerry's is fighting for its life. Häagen-Dazs is pressuring distributors to stop carrying the Vermont ice cream brand and the deadline for distributors to comply is closing in fast. But with help from a lawyer with a hole in his shoe and a spate of publicity stunts, Ben &amp...
ListenTranscript
May 20, 2022

Sponsored: Welcome to the Future of Work (Dell Podference) | 2
Since the pandemic began, many of us have traded our blazers for t-shirts and loafers for slippers as remote work has become the new normal. There’s been a fundamental shift in what employees expect from their workplace — and spoiler alert, going in five days a week isn’t it. So how can business ow...
ListenTranscript
May 18, 2022

Encore: Häagen-Dazs vs Ben & Jerry's | Ice Cream Castle | 2
It's 1958 and in New York City, Reuben Mattus is under fire. The big dairies are crushing his family's ice cream business and shutting him out of supermarkets. Desperate, he imagines a new, luxury ice cream with an eye-popping price tag. He calls it Häagen-Dazs and it's going to give his foes the c...
ListenTranscript
May 13, 2022

Sponsored: The Art of Disruption (Dell Podference) | 1
Startups search for pain points in the customer experience and design their product to solve these problems. There’s an art to knowing how to find that one thing the market needs and running with it. On the flip side, established businesses need to constantly reassess their products to avoid being ...
ListenTranscript
May 11, 2022

Encore: Häagen-Dazs vs Ben & Jerry's | Big Chunks O'Love | 1
It's the '70s and best buddies Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield are about to open an ice cream parlor. These hungry hippies only want to have fun making ice cream. But as their business grows, they're going to find themselves on a collision course with the heavyweight champ of gourmet ice cream: Häag...
ListenTranscript
May 5, 2022

Best of Business Wars Daily | ​​Plant-Based Food on A Roll | 6
Plant-based foods are no longer a tiny niche market. Consumers are hungry for more and even fast-food giants are eating up the trend. On this episode, we're joined by Wall Street Journal reporter Heather Haddon and comedy writer Halle Kiefer to look at stories about the changing food industry from ...
ListenTranscript
May 4, 2022

Tesla vs Detroit | Tales From the Tipping Point | 5
Electric vehicles have come a long way over the past century, and now, with gas prices at record highs, more and more drivers are thinking about taking the plunge (if they can get their hands on one). Today, we’re road-tripping through the electric vehicle landscape of today and tomorrow with A...
ListenTranscript
April 27, 2022

Tesla vs Detroit | Appetite for Destruction | 4
After weathering an investigation by the government for their EVs catching on fire, Tesla is hit by another probe after things get deadly. But the company is dedicated to Autopilot, its self-driving system. And once again, nearly every iconic brand in Detroit is following along. Elon Musk amps up h...
ListenTranscript
April 20, 2022

Tesla vs Detroit | Motor City Fights Back | 3
The battle to dominate the EV market is on. Tesla’s market value is now around $20 billion. At this rate, Tesla could wipe the floor with GM in a decade. Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Chevrolet are taking notes. No one wants to be bringing up the rear. After near-devastating production issues, Te...
ListenTranscript
April 13, 2022

Tesla vs Detroit | Survival Mode | 2
In 2010, Tesla Motors has already experienced tremendous highs and devastating lows. Elon Musk is a polarizing figure whose goal is to change the way the traditional auto industry works. It’s been a struggle, but Detroit is finally bowing to the Tesla vision, moving electric vehicles to the top of ...
ListenTranscript
April 6, 2022

Tesla vs Detroit | Accelerate Faster | 1
While the U.S. government pushed automakers to make low-emission vehicles in the 1990s, consumers loved their gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs. But in 2003, Elon Musk's Tesla Motors arrives with environmentally friendly, high-performance cars that people actually want. Motor City smirks as Musk pil...
ListenTranscript
March 31, 2022

Best of Business Wars Daily | Electric Vehicles Shock the System | 5
The electric vehicle market is experiencing massive growth, but more players means more competition for the vanguard. On this episode, we're joined by Insider editor Alex Davies and TV writer Josh Gondelman to look back at some of our "green" automotive industry stories from our sister show, Busine...
ListenTranscript
March 30, 2022

Airbnb vs NYC | Pulling Back the Curtain | 4
In 2022, you’d be hard-pressed to find somebody who hasn’t spent at least a couple of days in an Airbnb. It’s cheap, convenient and easy to use. But as you settle into your temporary home-away-from-home, you’re probably paying little mind to what’s playing out behind the scenes. Business Wars writ...
ListenTranscript
March 23, 2022

Airbnb vs NYC | The Gathering Storm | 3
By 2017, Airbnb's legal troubles are snowballing so fast, it’s not clear whether it will survive. But there’s another gathering storm that nobody could have forecast – the COVID-19 pandemic. And it will make a direct hit on Airbnb. Listen to new episodes 1 week early and to all episodes ad fr...
ListenTranscript
March 16, 2022

Airbnb vs NYC | Operation Firestarter | 2
By 2013, New York’s Attorney General is coming for Airbnb. And hoteliers, hotel worker unions, affordable housing activists and politicians come together to form an alliance against the home-sharing startup. Airbnb fights back in the courtroom — and the court of public opinion. Airbnb is forced to ...
ListenTranscript
March 9, 2022

Airbnb vs NYC | No Reservations | 1
Airbnb has changed the way we travel and upended the hotel industry, but it has also sparked one of the messiest fights ever between a startup and city government. When Airbnb arrived in New York City in 2009, it began operating in neighborhoods where affordable housing was already in short supply....
ListenTranscript
March 3, 2022

Best of Business Wars Daily | Big Tech's Next Frontier Is Home Buying | 7
While the housing market continues its hot streak, technology is disrupting the industry on every level. On this episode, we're joined by Business Wars writer Natalie Robehmed and comedian Ed Herro to look back at some of our best real estate stories from our sister show, Business Wars Daily. List...
ListenTranscript
March 2, 2022

ESPN vs Fox Sports | The Wide World of Sports Broadcasting | 6
Heavyweight champions ESPN and FS1 are competing for cable, as legacy networks hop off the bench and onto the field. On-air talent remain caught in the middle. Throw in a global pandemic and an increasingly digital-first media landscape, and you’re in for one heck-of-game. For our very own post...
ListenTranscript
February 23, 2022

ESPN vs Fox Sports | Undisputed | 5
It’s 2015 and Fox Sports 1 is in a rut. Its attempt to topple ESPN has barely dented the defences of the Disney-controlled sports media giant. Not that Fox is about to give up. It's looking to former ESPN producer Jamie Horowitz to craft a studio programming strategy that can suck viewers away ...
ListenTranscript
February 16, 2022

ESPN vs Fox Sports | Fox Strikes Back | 4
It’s 2005 and new ESPN programming chief John Skipper’s out to cement the brand’s market dominance by buying up more sports rights. With ESPN spending big, Fox Sports will need more than its broadcast network and Fox Sports Net regional channels to stay in contention. It needs its own 24-hour nati...
ListenTranscript
February 9, 2022

ESPN vs Fox Sports | Best in Show | 3
The 1990s are about to end and ESPN is on a quest to strike down the competition before they can muster the strength to challenge it. But when ESPN starts using the NFL to gouge the nation’s cable providers, Fox Sports gets an opportunity to dominate regional sports TV. And as Fox steps up its at...
ListenTranscript
February 2, 2022

ESPN vs Fox Sports | Aussie Rules Football | 2
It’s the early 1990s and media mogul Rupert Murdoch is out to shatter ABC, CBS and NBC’s stranglehold on American TV and take his Fox network into the TV majors. To succeed, Fox will need a powerful battering ram and only one will do: the ratings magnet that is the NFL. And having been spurned ...
ListenTranscript
January 26, 2022

ESPN vs Fox Sports | First Down | 1
It’s the late 1970s and TV sports is equivalent to a few hours of programming on ABC, NBC and CBS each week. But in Connecticut, Bill Rasmussen is on a mission to change that by creating a cable TV network dedicated to airing sports. Trouble is, he’s got no money, no sports rights, no TV studio...
ListenTranscript
January 19, 2022

Encore: Hershey's vs Mars | Global Chocolate Domination | 6
It’s a new century and Hershey’s facing unexpected trouble at home — a showdown between the company and its biggest shareholder that threatens its independence. Meanwhile, Mars is on a mission to become the world’s candy king. And with Hershey yet to break ground outside the U.S., the opportuni...
ListenTranscript
January 12, 2022

Encore: Hershey's vs Mars | A Chocolate Rolls Royce | 5
It’s the late 1970s and Mars is America’s top confectioner. But Hershey is hungry for a comeback. It’s plotting a return to the top powered by a rush of new candies it hopes can nibble away at Mars’ market share. Not that Mars has any intention of surrendering pole position without a fight. It ...
ListenTranscript
January 5, 2022

Encore: Hershey's vs Mars | Mars Attacks! | 4
It’s 1965 and Forrest Mars has just become the manufacturer of Snickers and M&M’s. He is now – at last – ready to duke it out with Hershey in a battle to become the number one candy maker in America. And he knows Hershey is far from prepared for his sudden switch from ally to enemy. Hershey...
ListenTranscript
December 29, 2021

Encore: Hershey's vs Mars | A Candy-Coated Prayer | 3
It’s the 1940s and Forrest Mars’ plan to create a candy empire is stepping up a gear. He’s plotting to seize control of his dad’s company Mars and turn it into a Hershey killer. First he needs to get his new candy venture off the ground. But to do that he needs help. Help from Hershey. But ...
ListenTranscript
December 27, 2021

Encore: Hershey's vs Mars | Blast Off | 2
It’s 1923 and the Hershey Chocolate Company dominates the candy bar business. With its milk chocolate Hershey bar and bite-sized Kisses, Hershey seems impossible to beat. But in a Chicago police station, an awkward father-son reunion is about to sire a new challenger in the candy business. That c...
ListenTranscript
December 22, 2021

Encore: Hershey's vs Mars | Chocolate Town | 1
It’s 1886 and in New York City, a young confectioner called Milton Hershey is desperately trying to save his business. He’s been struggling for years. He founded his first candy business in Philadelphia, only to watch it collapse. His second venture lasted just weeks. Now, he’s loaded up with debt...
ListenTranscript
December 20, 2021

Christmas Movie Wars | An Iconic Holiday Tradition | 6
Over the past decade, made-for-TV holiday romance movies have gone from a seasonal guilty pleasure to a mainstream phenomenon, drawing in millions of viewers year over year. While Hallmark and Lifetime still seem to be guiding this sleigh, streamers like Netflix and Hulu are getting in on the actio...
ListenTranscript
December 15, 2021

Christmas Movie Wars | A Season Like No Other | 5
As a global pandemic hits, both Hallmark and Lifetime are in danger of not being able to complete their movies for their upcoming Christmas programming. The two companies get creative to shoot their films. Meanwhile, Hallmark hires a new CEO to rebound after the scandals of the prior year. And the ...
ListenTranscript
December 13, 2021

Christmas Movie Wars | The Scandal Express | 4
After years of being content to play second fiddle to Hallmark, Lifetime decides to make a big move in 2018. They produce more Christmas movies than ever before and go after Hallmark’s biggest weakness: its lack of diversity. Of the twenty-one original Christmas movies Hallmark aired in 2017, only ...
ListenTranscript
December 8, 2021

Christmas Movie Wars | It's a Wonderful Strife | 3
After years of being content to play second fiddle to Hallmark, Lifetime decides to make a big move in 2018. They produce more Christmas movies than ever before and go after Hallmark’s biggest weakness: its lack of diversity. Of the twenty-one original Christmas movies Hallmark aired in 2017, only ...
ListenTranscript
December 6, 2021

Christmas Movie Wars | Once Upon A Christmas Ratings Hit | 2
In 1951, the founder of Hallmark Cards, the successful greeting card company, decides to get into television by sponsoring a live opera airing on Christmas Eve. It’s a success, and Hallmark becomes a regular sponsor of television programming for decades. But when they launch their own cable channel...
ListenTranscript
December 1, 2021

Christmas Movie Wars | A Very Merry Rivalry | 1
In 2009 the Hallmark Channel launched "Countdown to Christmas," which included four original movies made on a modest budget that follow a predictable formula. It was an immediate ratings hit, catapulting Hallmark to the top of the cable charts. Competitors start to take notice, most notably Lifetim...
ListenTranscript
November 29, 2021

Blackberry vs iPhone | The Smartphone Generation | 5
It’s a GPS! It’s a camera! It’s a computer! It’s...your smartphone. And in 2021, it feels like you can’t live without it. But when Blackberry and iPhone got into the game in the mid-2000s, that wasn’t yet the case. In just 15 years, our technology has changed dramatically — and so has the culture a...
ListenTranscript
November 24, 2021

Blackberry vs iPhone | A Requiem in Slow Motion | 4
It’s January 2011 and Research in Motion’s Jim Balsillie is in Davos, Switzerland when he discovers that his company is being threatened by the Egyptian government. BlackBerry’s BBM messaging system is a lifeline for protestors in the country. Balsillie starts to think that BBM could hold the key t...
ListenTranscript
November 22, 2021

Blackberry vs iPhone | App Attack | 3
It’s summer 2008, and Research In Motion’s Mike Lazaridis is at the product testing site for BlackBerry’s new device: a touchscreen designed to compete with the iPhone. This model, however, is going to leave more than broken glass in its wake, when it threatens to sever RIM’s relationship with Veri...
ListenTranscript
November 17, 2021

Blackberry vs iPhone | The Jesus Phone | 2
It’s late 2005, and Steve Jobs is deciding between two prototypes for an Apple phone. His choice will go on to become perhaps the best-selling product ever. Now his team just has to make the touchscreen technology work. Thousands of miles away in Waterloo, Canada, Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis ...
ListenTranscript
November 15, 2021

Blackberry vs iPhone | CrackBerry | 1
It’s September 11, 2001, and the only network running in downtown NYC is the one owned and operated by BlackBerry’s manufacturer, Reserach in Motion. On one of the most devastating days in American history, that unique reliability wins RIM new fans from Wall Street to Capitol Hill. Mike Lazaridis a...
ListenTranscript
November 10, 2021

Crypto Wars | We're in the (Virtual) Money | 7
Cryptocurrency has transformed dramatically since Satoshi Nakamoto introduced Bitcoin to the world more than a decade ago. Today, crypto has become a hot investment and, in recent years, an irreverent staple of Internet culture. But questions about its sustainability and volatility make it dif...
ListenTranscript
November 8, 2021

Crypto Wars | Zuckerpunch | 6
It’s 2017, and after months of sky-high price rises, the crypto bubble is about to burst. But as scammers and investor panic crash the market, the Winklevoss twins’ nemesis Mark Zuckerberg is making moves. He’s planning a push into crypto designed to put Facebook at the center of global finance. L...
ListenTranscript
November 3, 2021

Crypto Wars | New Kids on the Blockchain | 5
It’s the mid-2010s and a new blockchain called Ethereum is shaking up crypto. It’s the creation of nineteen-year-old Vitalik Buterin, and it’s inspiring a flood of new digital coins and a gold rush for crypto. But as millions of investors buy crypto for the first time, Coinbase feels the strain. S...
ListenTranscript
November 1, 2021

Crypto Wars | Block Busting | 4
It’s 2015 and Coinbase is out to carve up the crypto scene with its new exchange. But it’s about to face strong headwinds in the form of state regulators, banks, and the Winklevoss twins’ new startup Gemini. And as Coinbase’s growth slows, CEO Brian Armstrong faces pressure to abandon crypto. List...
ListenTranscript
October 27, 2021

Crypto Wars | The Great Slow Motion Swindle | 3
It’s 2013 and bitcoin’s gaining traction at last. But just as crypto reaches for credibility, bitcoin is blindsided by high-profile arrests, corporate collapses and multi-million-dollar hacks. But as the leading lights of the bitcoin industry crash and burn, Coinbase senses a chance to cash in on ...
ListenTranscript
October 25, 2021

Crypto Wars | The Untouchables | 2
It’s 2011, and Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss are trying to move on from their legal battle with Mark Zuckerberg over who created Facebook. And their nemesis is about to derail the twins’ dreams again. But then a chance encounter on the dance floor catapults them into crypto. Listen to new episod...
ListenTranscript
October 20, 2021

Crypto Wars | Generate Coins | 1
It’s 2009 and in a modest suburban home, a monetary revolution is beginning. It’s called bitcoin and it arrives with a whimper. There’s just no compelling reason to swap dollars for this worthless digital token. But then, a wannabe crime lord spots bitcoin’s potential and enacts a plan to filthy ri...
ListenTranscript
October 18, 2021

Fast Fashion | Can Fast Fashion Sustain Itself? | 6
Fast fashion has a crisis on its hands. The industry is wreaking havoc on the environment, and even the execs are starting to notice. Massive amounts of pollution and textile waste have taken a toll on the planet as these shops continue to send runway styles to mainstream markets in record time. Th...
ListenTranscript
October 13, 2021

Fast Fashion | Long Haul | 5
It’s 2019, and the internet is overflowing with videos of satisfied customers showing off their Shein hauls. But it’s not all smooth sailing when allegations go viral that the company steals from independent designers.  Meanwhile, former Topshop brand director Jane Shepherdson has a new gig i...
ListenTranscript
October 11, 2021

Fast Fashion | Dress for Excess | 4
It’s 2018, and H&M is drowning in billions of dollars worth of unsold inventory. Brick and mortar stores are struggling. But on the internet, Shein is thriving, capitalizing on social media trends to get desirable, ultra-cheap clothing made and into customers’ hands in a matter of days. And on...
ListenTranscript
October 6, 2021

Fast Fashion | Clothes Call | 3
It’s 2010, and a series of deadly tragedies at factories in Bangladesh paint H&M and the fast fashion industry in a negative light. In response, the company doubles down on sustainability, launching a new eco-friendly line. Meanwhile, Forever 21 goes to court over copyright infringement allega...
ListenTranscript
October 4, 2021

Fast Fashion | Stitch by Stitch | 2
It’s 1974 and Amancio Ortega, determined to break the cycle of poverty he experienced growing up in Spain, uses his background in retail and manufacturing to found future fast fashion giant Zara.   Meanwhile, Topshop is born as a small section in the basement of a department store, and f...
ListenTranscript
September 29, 2021

Fast Fashion | Fire Sale | 1
It’s 1987 and Jane Shepherdson, a star buyer for retail chain Topshop, is using her keen ability to predict trends to put the company on the map as the go-to shopping destination for young British women. But when the company is bought by prickly business tycoon Philip Green, all of her hard work is...
ListenTranscript
September 27, 2021

Death Row Records vs Bad Boy Records | Life After Wartime | 6
The battle between Death Row and Bad Boy Records wasn't long, but it was intense. Rather than staying on wax, the beef came off the records and into the streets, resulting in a deadly macho dust-up between hip hop's biggest — and youngest — stars. The rivalry also touched the life of R&B up-and...
ListenTranscript
September 22, 2021

Death Row Records vs Bad Boy Records | You’re Nobody ‘til Somebody Kills You | 5
The rivalry between the East and West Coasts of hip-hop has become an all out war, with Death Row and Bad Boy on the front lines of the conflict. Within six months, the war claims the lives of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls, sending shockwaves through the hip-hop community.  For Death Row and...
ListenTranscript
September 20, 2021

Death Row Records vs Bad Boy Records | Hit ‘Em Up | 4
By the time Biggie Smalls meets Tupac Shakur, Tupac is already a big star. He hasn’t yet signed with Death Row, but he’s already sold millions of records and starred in two feature films. Biggie, on the other hand, is still waiting for his first album to drop.  Biggie and Tupac become fast fr...
ListenTranscript
September 15, 2021

Death Row Records vs Bad Boy Records | Ready to Die | 3
In the 70 and 80s, the founders of Death Row and Bad Boy are coming of age. In the Los Angeles neighborhood of Compton, a young Dre is spinning records before he even learns to read. Dre desperately wants to be a hip-hop DJ, but Los Angeles barely has a hip-hop scene. In New York, on the other hand...
ListenTranscript
September 13, 2021

Death Row Records vs Bad Boy Records | Interns & Intimidation | 2
This episode contains explicit language. In the 70 and 80s, the founders of Death Row and Bad Boy are coming of age. In the Los Angeles neighborhood of Compton, a young Dre is spinning records before he even learns to read. Dre desperately wants to be a hip-hop DJ, but Los Angeles barely has a h...
ListenTranscript
September 8, 2021

Death Row Records vs Bad Boy Records | Life After Death | 1
This episode contains explicit language. In the 1990s, the landscape of American music was changed forever by two titans of hip hop: Death Row and Bad Boy. The rivalry between these iconic rap labels would go on to become as legendary as it was notorious. But in these early days? It’s all good. ...
ListenTranscript
September 6, 2021

Summer Food Frenzy: Best of Business Wars Daily
Summer is a time for barbecues, picnics, and maybe even a stiff drink. When it’s warm out, the business of food really starts booming. That’s why we decided to bring you a roundup of some of our favorite recent food stories from our weekday news podcast, Business Wars Daily. Listen to new episodes...
ListenTranscript
September 1, 2021

The Birth of Vegas | Can Sin City Survive? | 7
From a turn-of-the-century railroad stopover to a glamorous entertainment oasis, the evolution of Las Vegas has been one for the books. Casino moguls replaced crime bosses as the kings of the castle, giving "Sin City" the more family-friendly vibe we see today. Although the mob is out, more challen...
ListenTranscript
August 30, 2021

The Birth of Vegas | Gambling on the Future | 6
Sin City shapeshifts from its long-held ranking as the supreme adult playground on the planet to a bizarre family-friendly amusement park. Steve Wynn sets a redesign trend that emphasizes Vegas visitors who come for things other than gambling. It’s a world of boutiques, restaurants and Disney-esque...
ListenTranscript
August 25, 2021

The Birth of Vegas | Sharks In the Lobby | 5
The mob’s longtime stranglehold on Las Vegas is weakening as the feds press down harder than ever. Just a few years ago, no one built anything on the Strip without gangster involvement. Now, as the late ‘80s unfold into the ‘90s, rising Vegas mega-developer Steve Wynn begins his rise to battle Kirk...
ListenTranscript
August 23, 2021

The Birth of Vegas | Casino Combat | 4
Vegas is getting a bad rap in the press, thanks to the increasing spotlight on the mob’s control. The legitimate powers in the halls of Nevada government need something—or someone--to spread a veneer of respectability over Sin City. That someone arrives. He’s one of the most wealthy, powerful men ...
ListenTranscript
August 18, 2021

The Birth of Vegas | Nevada Doubles Down | 3
The mob faces its biggest threat yet when Nevada governor Grant Sawyer wants control of the state’s top-grossing industry—gambling. The attack includes a strictly-enforced gangster blacklist to keep hoods out of their own casinos. Things get worse when Attorney General Robert Kennedy mounts his own...
ListenTranscript
August 16, 2021

The Birth of Vegas | The Feds Get Fed Up | 2
Backing from a legitimate Mormon banker creates major funding for the Vegas mob infrastructure. The underworld is coming out on top in Sin City. But there’s a challenger out for blood: the United States government. A U.S. senator launches an attack on mob-run gaming, and brings his third degree he...
ListenTranscript
August 11, 2021

The Birth of Vegas | Sunrise on Sin City | 1
In 1931, the massive Hoover Dam project brings thousands of workers to Nevada. They have paychecks and nowhere to spend them. The state legalizes gambling, setting a small, dusty town called Las Vegas on its way to becoming an unsurpassed phenomenon. The mob realizes there are untold riches to be ...
ListenTranscript
August 9, 2021

Häagen-Dazs vs Ben & Jerry's | Big Chunks O'Love | 1
It's the '70s and best buddies Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield are about to open an ice cream parlor. These hungry hippies only want to have fun making ice cream. But as their business grows, they're going to find themselves on a collision course with the heavyweight champ of gourmet ice cream: Häag...
ListenTranscript
August 4, 2021

Bacardi vs Pernod Ricard | Does Cuba Still Love Havana Club? | 7
For Cubans, rum is more than just a drink. It's become a symbol of identity, culture and politics, and each bottle has a lot to say — especially when it's labeled "Havana Club."  As Bacardi and Pernod Ricard battle it out in court to determine the true owner of this traditional Cuban liquor b...
ListenTranscript
August 2, 2021

Bacardi vs Pernod Ricard | Last Call | 6
Pernod Ricard believes it’s just a matter of time before Cuba’s embargo is dropped. It dramatically expands its distilleries in Cuba for the moment when it can delug the US market with its Havanista rum. But politics will make this anything but a straight shot. Listen to new episodes 1 week early ...
ListenTranscript
July 28, 2021

Bacardi vs Pernod Ricard | Rum Punch Politics | 5
Bacardi manages to best Pernod Ricard by using both the courts and Capitol Hill to keep the embargo in place against Pernod Ricard’s rum of the same name, Havana Club. But as relations between the U.S. and Cuba warm, negotiations between Havana and Washington begin. On Castro’s wish list: the ...
ListenTranscript
July 26, 2021

Bacardi vs Pernod Ricard | The Liquor Lobby | 4
Bacardi has one-upped Pernod Ricard by deploying a U.S. trade embargo to block imports of Pernod Ricard and Cuba’s rum. So Castro announces that Cuba will make copycat products of American companies, ignoring their U.S. trademarks. Listen to new episodes 1 week early and to all episodes ad free wi...
ListenTranscript
July 21, 2021

Bacardi vs Pernod Ricard | The Bat Out of Hell | 3
Bacardi is now America’s favorite rum, but two former French spirits rivals -- Ricard and Pernod -- have joined forces to challenge Bacardi. And to gain the upper hand in security rights to Havana Club, the French company turns to Bacardi’s arch enemy for help: Fidel Castro. Listen to new epi...
ListenTranscript
July 19, 2021

Bacardi vs Pernod Ricard | Hunter or Prey | 2
Before they were billion-dollar behemoths owning many of today’s biggest booze brands, Bacardi and Pernod Ricard were three tiny, family-run companies. Pernod makes absinthe so well it became synonymous with the substance that causes a frenzy in Europe before being banned. Ricard steps in with an...
ListenTranscript
July 14, 2021

Bacardi vs Pernod Ricard | Rum and Revolution | 1
When family-run rum maker Bacardi was kicked out of Cuba in 1960, it vowed to go to extremes to get revenge on Fidel Castro. So when French spirits conglomerate Pernod Ricard cuts a deal with Castro’s government to share in the fortunes of Cuban-made Havana Club rum, Bacardi declares war on Pernod ...
ListenTranscript
July 12, 2021

Encore: Southwest vs American Airlines | Free LUV | 6
Thanks to deregulation, no-frills knock offs of Southwest take to the skies like crows. About 120 airlines have gone out of business or filed for bankruptcy since the industry was deregulated in 1978. American’s SABRE system optimizes...everything. It manages ticket pricing so flights are always f...
ListenTranscript
July 7, 2021

Encore: Southwest vs American Airlines | The Cult of Herb | 5
Everyone loves Herb Kelleher—even FAA regulators. The onetime corporate counsel-turned-CEO is coming into his own at the helm of Southwest. But his latest challenge is coming up with a way to skirt the FAA’s pesky “slot” system, designed to limit air traffic by rationing takeoffs and landings. Kell...
ListenTranscript
July 5, 2021

Encore: Southwest vs American Airlines | The Darling of Deregulation | 4
As deregulation dawns, Southwest Airlines’ founder and CEO are locked in a power struggle. In the middle is Herb Kelleher, Southwest’s corporate attorney. And after 18 months serving as a punching bag for the company’s top brass, he’s had enough.  But as Southwest deals with a succession cris...
ListenTranscript
June 30, 2021

Encore: Southwest vs American Airlines | Aviation Cyber Wars | 3
The computer age is on the horizon, and American Airlines has a secret weapon: SABRE. Sure, the airline is top of the heap under the current pen-and-paper reservation system — the one where travel agents use a massive phonebook to look up flights, then call individual airlines to book a ticket. But...
ListenTranscript
June 28, 2021

Encore: Southwest vs American Airlines | Dogfight Over Dallas | 2
Baniff and Southwest battled in court for domination over the skies. Southwest came out on top for a little while, but Baniff pushed back with prices Southwest just couldn't beat. The only way Southwest could fight back was to give the mostly male, mostly businessmen clientele something they couldn...
ListenTranscript
June 23, 2021

Encore: Southwest vs American Airlines | Clearing the Runway | 1
In Texas in the 1960s, Rollin King had a crazy idea. He wanted to create a no-frills airline service that served San Antonio, Dallas and Houston. All he and his lawyer had to do was convince the Federal Regulations Bureau that they had no jurisdiction on flights that never left Texas. Of course get...
ListenTranscript
June 21, 2021

Food Delivery Wars | Can Food Apps Ever Deliver Profits? | 5
In the wake of the unexpected jolt of the COVID-19 pandemic, food delivery app businesses are looking for stability and profitability any way they can find it. With Uber’s purchase of Postmates and DoorDash buying Caviar, consolidation has become all the rage.  And the apps are diversify...
ListenTranscript
June 16, 2021

Food Delivery Wars | Just Deserts | 4
It's July 2019. DoorDash is finally bigger than Grubhub, but it's coming under fire for pocketing tips from its drivers. Now DoorDash needs to rehab its image, or risk losing customers to its competitors.  When a California proposition threatens to alter how food delivery companies classify t...
ListenTranscript
June 14, 2021

Food Delivery Wars | Deliver or Die | 3
It's December 2014, and Grubhub's Matt Maloney is feeling the heat. Competitors are eating away at his market share, so he decides to change direction. Grubhub finally starts delivering food with its own drivers. But will it be enough to outpace the other fast-growing upstarts? DoorDash, meanwhile...
ListenTranscript
June 9, 2021

Food Delivery Wars | Who's The Boss? | 2
It's 1990 in Champaign, Illinois, and 15-year-old Tony Xu is washing dishes in the Chinese restaurant his mother manages. He wants to help people like his Mom, but it'll be many years before he hits on his solution for small businesses.  Across the Atlantic, Bastian Lehmann forgets his snowbo...
ListenTranscript
June 7, 2021

Food Delivery Wars | Hot Ticket | 1
It's December 2011 in San Francisco. Bastian Lehmann is getting ready to launch his courier app, Postmates. But when he and his co-founders discover people want food delivered, not objects, they pivot to a business already cornered by Grubhub.  Meanwhile, 30 miles away in Palo Alto, a busines...
ListenTranscript
June 2, 2021

Encore: WWF vs WCW | How AEW Dynamite Reignited the Wrestling War | 7
WWE might have thwarted WCW’s effort to claim the pro wrestling crown, but after 20 years of unchallenged supremacy, a new competitor has entered the ring. Bankrolled by a billionaire sports owner and airing weekly on TNT, All Elite Wrestling is, in many ways, the second coming of WCW.  But h...
ListenTranscript
May 31, 2021

Encore: WWF vs WCW | Down for the Count | 6
It’s 1998 and the slugfest between Vince McMahon’s WWF and Ted Turner’s WCW is reaching a critical juncture. McMahon’s on a mission to pull wrestling fans back to his TV shows with a strategy focused on maximum controversy. And to help him in his mission, he’s getting back-up from a high-flying TV...
ListenTranscript
May 26, 2021

Encore: WWF vs WCW | Shock Tactics | 5
It’s 1996 and with Monday Nitro topping the TV ratings, WCW is out to end WWF’s time as the biggest player in the wrestling business. It’s plotting to establish two brands: one that WCW boss Eric Bischoff hopes can suck away WWF’s family audience, another that will seek to capture the young males ...
ListenTranscript
May 24, 2021

Encore: WWF vs WCW | New World Order | 4
It’s 1995 and the Monday Night Wars are underway. WCW’s new show Monday Nitro is grappling with the WWF’s Monday Night Raw to win TV viewers’ attention. WCW isn’t pulling its punches either. Under the command of Eric Bischoff, WCW is dropping spoiler bombs, luring away WWF’s top wrestlers and tras...
ListenTranscript
May 19, 2021

Encore: WWF vs WCW | Prime Time | 3
It’s 1994 and WCW is stepping up its game. To get the jump on WWF, Ted Turner is writing big checks to steal away the WWF’s biggest stars and sponsors. And as WCW’s star power increases, so does its popularity with wrestling fans. But the WWF is in no position to fight back. It’s struggling to kee...
ListenTranscript
May 17, 2021

Encore: WWF vs WCW | Bulking Up | 2
It’s the dawn of the 1990s and Vince McMahon’s WWF is the king of wrestling. But trouble’s brewing: a steroids scandal is about to deal a body blow to the WWF and its family-friendly reputation. The scandal will leave WWF stuck in damage control mode as it fights to stem the losses from falling TV...
ListenTranscript
May 14, 2021

Sponsored: Small Business Stories | Columbia Sportswear | 2
This episode is brought to you by Wondery in partnership with Dell Technologies. In honor of small businesses, we're featuring inspiring stories of successful companies that started out small. It’s 1970 and Gert Boyle’s life is in ruins. Her husband’s just died, and now, as a middle-aged stay-at-h...
ListenTranscript
May 12, 2021

Encore: WWF vs WCW | Titan Rising | 1
It’s the early 1980s and there’s peace in the wrestling business. For years regional wrestling companies have maintained order by sticking to their own slices of US and Canadian territory. But that’s all about to change. Vince McMahon has just taken over the World Wrestling Federation, and he want...
ListenTranscript
May 11, 2021

Sponsored: Small Business Stories | Domino's Pizza | 1
This episode is brought to you by Wondery in partnership with Dell Technologies. In honor of small businesses, we're featuring inspiring stories of successful companies that started out small. It’s 1961 and Tom Monaghan is about to drop out of college and put his all into the hole-in-the-wall pizz...
ListenTranscript
May 10, 2021

Vaccine Wars | Big Pharma's Big Gamble Pays Off | 7
BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca. These companies are now household names thanks to their COVID-19 vaccines. The gambles these businesses took are paying off.  The pharmaceutical giants are in line to profit heavily from their life-saving work, but the system of distribut...
ListenTranscript
May 5, 2021

Vaccine Wars | Arms Race | 6
It’s late 2020 and the first vaccines are going into arms across the world. With supplies tight, the nations of the world are pushing and shoving to get their shots, and investors are salivating at the thought of the profits to be made now that humanity’s got Covid’s on the run. But this virus is...
ListenTranscript
May 3, 2021

Vaccine Wars | Trials and Tribulations | 5
It’s fall 2020 and the world’s waiting for the first results from the vaccine trials. But as the moment of truth nears, the pressure on the vaccine makers intensifies. And while AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson get hit with curveballs, Pfizer finds itself caught in the crossfire of the U.S. ...
ListenTranscript
April 28, 2021

Vaccine Wars | Warp Speed | 4
It’s summer 2020 and with Covid infections surging across America, the Trump administration’s ready to spend billions to get a vaccine fast. For vaccine makers — who face the enormous costs of rapidly upscaling manufacturing and pushing their shots through large-scale human trials — the government...
ListenTranscript
April 26, 2021

Vaccine Wars | Long Shot | 3
It’s February 2020 and drugmaker Moderna’s sprinting ahead – its Covid vaccine is already poised to enter human trials. But Moderna and its rivals know plenty of vaccines never make it out of trials alive. It’s also going to take a lot of manufacturing muscle to inoculate the world. All of which c...
ListenTranscript
April 21, 2021

Vaccine Wars | The Hype Cycle | 2
It’s 25 years before the pandemic and at the University of Pennsylvania a Hungarian biochemist is fighting a one-woman campaign to figure out how to create mRNA vaccines. But no one wants to fund her research and every lab rat she injects with mRNA dies. Now, she must decide between her career an...
ListenTranscript
April 19, 2021

Vaccine Wars | This is Not a Drill | 1
It’s early January 2020, and a mysterious new virus is overtaking the city of Wuhan, China. At first the outbreak barely makes the news, but as the threat comes into focus, scientists spring into action to make a vaccine. But the outlook’s grim – vaccines take years to create, test and approve. No...
ListenTranscript
April 14, 2021

KFC vs Chick-fil-A | The Fried Chicken Future | 7
After decades in KFC’s shadow, Chick-fil-A rode a wave of chicken sandwich obsession to industry dominance. But for how long? Will consumers tire of the relative simplicity of fried chicken in between two pieces of bread? For more on the emergence of the chicken sandwich as fast food’s favorite son...
ListenTranscript
April 13, 2021

David Brown on The Art of Business Wars | 7
Our new book, The Art of Business Wars, takes fans through stories they've heard on Business Wars and some that are completely new. Host David Brown is joined by Next Big Idea's Rufus Griscom to discuss how the book came together, what makes a great Business Wars story, and preview some of the neve...
ListenTranscript
April 12, 2021

KFC vs Chick-fil-A | Sandwichmania | 6
It’s the the early 2000’s and the animal rights group PETA accuses KFC of cruelty in their poultry processing and creating “Frankenchickens.” As KFC revenues tumble, Chick-fil-A surges ahead, cultivating fanatic customers with opening day parties and lavish food giveaways. But when President D...
ListenTranscript
April 7, 2021

KFC vs Chick-fil-A | The Colonel’s Last Stand | 5
It’s the 1970’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken has yet another new owner: Heublein, the company known for introducing Americans to Smirnoff’s vodka. But KFC brand ambassador Harland Sanders creates a PR fiasco by accusing his new corporate bosses of letting standards slide and ruining the company. As t...
ListenTranscript
April 6, 2021

The Art of Business Wars Lesson 4: Positioning
oo often in business, taking two positions is the same as taking none. You can only carve out one at a time — so choose wisely. To read more lessons from The Art of Business Wars and to order your copy, visit  wondery.com/the-art-of-business-wars .  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.c...
ListenTranscript
April 5, 2021

KFC vs Chick-fil-A | The Henhouse Heats Up | 4
It’s the late 1960s and Kentucky Fried Chicken’s new owner takes the rapidly expanding franchise public. America’s hottest new IPO makes dozens of employees instant millionaires, but not Harland Sanders, who sold his company for cash. Now brand ambassador, Sanders regrets his decision and attempts ...
ListenTranscript
March 31, 2021

KFC vs Chick-fil-A | The Birth of the Bucket | 3
It’s the 1950s in Kentucky and Harland Sanders faces bankruptcy once again. 65-years-old, broke, unemployed and desperate, he barnstorms the country, living out of his car, selling his secret fried chicken recipe to restaurant and diner owners. Franchising is a new concept and it’s hard going, but ...
ListenTranscript
March 29, 2021

KFC vs Chick-fil-A | Fast Fists and Failure | 2
It’s the 1900’s and a young Harland Sanders learns how to cook out of sheer necessity when his widowed mother leaves him at home to care for his younger brother and sister. Crushing poverty prompts his mother to loan him out as a field hand when he’s just twelve, and from then on he’s on his own. H...
ListenTranscript
March 24, 2021

KFC vs Chick-fil-A | Guns, Guts, and Gravy | 1
It's the Great Depression, and in one of Kentucky’s toughest corners, Harland Sanders defends his gas station business with sheer moxie and a loaded shotgun. He expands it into a thriving motel and restaurant, but impatient tourists balk at long wait times for his most popular dish — fried chicken....
ListenTranscript
March 22, 2021

Late Night Wars | Late Night for the TikTok Generation | 7
Since the disruption of the broadcast viewing experience, late night comedy has gone through some growing pains. It’s no longer must-see TV, but late night water cooler moments remain as fiery political segments go viral online. For more on how the late night landscape has shifted since Johnny Car...
ListenTranscript
March 17, 2021

Late Night Wars | Late Night Stars Collide | 6
Jay Leno takes it on the chin from NBC when the network informs him his future as Tonight Show host has a looming shelf life. He needs to hand the keys to Conan O’Brien, who doesn’t want to be stuck in the 12:30 slot forever.  As Letterman’s ratings at CBS decline, NBC makes a bizarre decisio...
ListenTranscript
March 15, 2021

Late Night Wars | A Darker Night Ahead | 5
CBS makes David Letterman a very attractive offer to leave NBC—a move he’s very willing to make—but his long-time network is desperate to keep him. So desperate they dangle the prize that Letterman felt he deserved all along—the Tonight Show.  That doesn’t sit well with Tonight host Jay Leno,...
ListenTranscript
March 10, 2021

Late Night Wars | There Goes Johnny! | 4
When longtime Tonight Show host Johnny Carson shocks NBC with the surprise announcement of his departure, Jay Leno is anointed as the next host of the network’s flagship franchise. But there’s a problem: after a decade hosting Late Night at 12:30, David Letterman thinks Carson’s job should be his...
ListenTranscript
March 8, 2021

Late Night Wars | Late Night Explodes | 3
Johnny Carson – the man who defined the Tonight show – is nearing retirement. But NBC has yet to settle on an heir. And that sets the stage for one of the most painful moments for the late night rivals battling for the throne. It will prove enormously embarrassing for Carson, Leno and Letterma...
ListenTranscript
March 3, 2021

Late Night Wars | The Dawn of Tonight | 2
The late night saga begins in the uncharted wilderness of after-hours programming. In the early 1950s, an era when television broadcasting literally stops at 11:00 p.m., NBC dares to push the envelope with something called the Tonight Show. It works. It seems insane, but American audiences are rea...
ListenTranscript
March 1, 2021

Late Night Wars | The Stars Realign | 1
The cutthroat evolution of late-night talk shows is a long and fierce battle for advertising riches, ratings and sheer egotistical triumph. It’s the early 1980s and NBC’s Tonight Show is the unbeatable standard in its class, and its long-time host Johnny Carson the indisputable god of late night.&n...
ListenTranscript
February 24, 2021

Estée Lauder vs L'Oréal | How Influencers Are Changing the Beauty Industry | 7
As the beauty business shifts towards boutique brands and upstarts, traditional titans of the industry like L'Oreal and Esteé Lauder are struggling to maintain a foothold. At the center of this cultural shift are beauty influencers, who are reaching a new wave of savvy, socially conscious consumers...
ListenTranscript
February 22, 2021

Estée Lauder vs L'Oréal | Lipstick Lockdown | 6
It’s 2007, and the L'Oréal founding family is thrust into the media spotlight when a scandal erupts. The daughter of Liliane Bettencourt, heiress to the company fortune, accuses a family friend of exploiting her mother’s dementia. But the ensuing investigation brings to light Bettencourt’s own unsa...
ListenTranscript
February 17, 2021

Estée Lauder vs L'Oréal | Buying Spree | 5
It’s 1991, and after the financial crash of 1987, Estée Lauder is looking for a new way to continue expanding without sinking millions of dollars and several years into developing a new brand. The answer lies in acquisitions, and they set their sights on two young, hip, buzzworthy companies: MAC an...
ListenTranscript
February 15, 2021

Estée Lauder vs L'Oréal | Face to Face | 4
It’s 1979 and Estée Lauder is on top of the world after launching another in-house brand, Prescriptives. But after decades of being primarily known for hair products, L'Oréal is ready to invade the American high-end makeup market. And their secret weapon is Lancôme, a luxurious French brand that th...
ListenTranscript
February 10, 2021

Estée Lauder vs L'Oréal | Skin in the Game | 3
It’s 1962, and Estée Lauder is on fire, with well-received new products helping solidify their position as the top high-end makeup brand. But Revlon is hot on their tails, and to fend off the threat the Lauders decide to develop a new brand: Clinique. With this line of hypoallergenic products for s...
ListenTranscript
February 8, 2021

Estée Lauder vs L'Oréal | Do or Dye | 2
It's 1904, and ambitious French chemist Eugène Schueller quits his job as a researcher to focus on formulating the first synthetic hair dye. Teaming up with Parisian hairdressers to spread the word about his product, he soon expands into hair care and sunscreen, relying on his knack for innovative ...
ListenTranscript
February 3, 2021

Estée Lauder vs L'Oréal | Telephone, Telegraph, Tell-A-Woman | 1
It’s 1946, and after years of building a cult following thanks to free samples and loyal customers, Estée Lauder finally has an opportunity to join the big leagues. She can now sell her high-quality makeup products in department stores in New York City. Unphased by competitors with deeper pockets a...
ListenTranscript
February 1, 2021

SpaceX vs Blue Origin | To Infinity And Beyond | 7
As the Space Race moves into the present day, Elon Musk recoups SpaceX’s losses and edges ahead of Blue Origin. But now his competition is coming not just from Jeff Bezos, but from like-minded dreamers in Russia and China. For more on the coming battle for space supremacy, we speak with Tim Fernho...
ListenTranscript
January 27, 2021

SpaceX vs Blue Origin | The Next Generation | 6
It's 2016 and Virgin Galactic is about to re-enter the space race following its fatal test flight two years earlier. But the company's early lead in human spaceflight is eroding fast. Blue Origin, Boeing and SpaceX are closing in. The race to become the first private company to launch a person in...
ListenTranscript
January 25, 2021

SpaceX vs Blue Origin | Space War | 5
It's 2013 and the long cold war between Blue Origin and SpaceX is about to go nuclear. The clash begins when NASA puts its most famous launchpad up for lease, and escalates fast. Soon SpaceX, Blue Origin, and the United Launch Alliance will be reaching for any weapon they can use to disrupt each ...
ListenTranscript
January 20, 2021

SpaceX vs Blue Origin | Rise of the Dragon | 4
It's 2009 and a new president is looking to shake up the space world by opening up the stars to private industry.  But with NASA’s space shuttle about to retire, the United States soon won't be able to reach the International Space Station without Russian help. U.S. leadership in space hangs...
ListenTranscript
January 18, 2021

SpaceX vs Blue Origin | Burning Up | 3
It's 2005 and SpaceX is about to find itself exiled to a tropical island, but this is no vacation. It's in a race against time to get the Falcon 1 rocket into orbit before Musk's millions runs out. But as the failures mount, Musk stares ruin in the face. Pre-order our new book  The Art of ...
ListenTranscript
January 13, 2021

SpaceX vs Blue Origin | Reaching for the Stars | 2
It's 2003 and in the Mojave Desert, renegade aviation genius Burt Rutan is building a spaceship funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. But while Rutan and Allen are preparing to launch the world's first privately funded astronaut, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are still struggling to get their spac...
ListenTranscript
January 11, 2021

SpaceX vs Blue Origin | Rocket Men | 1
It's 2001 and a 30-year-old Elon Musk has just been fired from Pay-Pal, the company he co-founded. In need of a second act, he hits on the idea of bankrolling a bizarre Mars mission. But he's not the only tech tycoon who's stargazing. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has also got space fever. But Bezos’ ...
ListenTranscript
January 6, 2021

Encore: Hasbro vs Mattel | Screen Dreams | 6
With the world plugging into the Internet, toys are under pressure. Kids are swapping plastic play for screen-based entertainment and both Mattel and Hasbro need to adapt. The question is: how? Mattel’s also finding out the hard way that Barbie’s reign as the queen of dolls is no longer secure. Ch...
ListenTranscript
January 4, 2021

Encore: Hasbro vs Mattel | The Shotgun Wedding | 5
A few months ago, Mattel’s revenues were just fifty million dollars behind Hasbro’s. But now that Hasbro’s swallowed Tonka—the classic maker of Nerf, Play-Doh, and Monopoly—Mattel is half a  billion  dollars behind, and CEO John Amerman isn’t happy about it. Ever since Hasbro turned Brit...
ListenTranscript
December 30, 2020

Encore: Hasbro vs Mattel | Resurrection Joe | 4
It’s the early 1980s and things are not looking good for Hasbro. The company hasn’t had a hit since Hungry Hungry Hippos; its founding CEO Merrill Hassenfeld has just died; now Star Wars dolls have just about gobbled up the entire action figure market. Hasbro needs to deliver a toy capable of takin...
ListenTranscript
December 28, 2020

Encore: Hasbro vs Mattel | The House of Cards | 3
Sizzlers, Mattel’s new motorized Hot Wheels, were supposed to be the top toy this Christmas. But sales have fizzled, leaving Mattel $30 million below target. For the last ten years, Mattel’s done exceptionally well by its investors, but now the toymaker is facing a stock price collapse. To keep up ...
ListenTranscript
December 23, 2020

Encore: Hasbro vs Mattel | Boy Toy | 2
It’s the 1960s and Hasbro is struggling. The pencil manufacturer turned toymaker hasn’t had a major success since Mr. Potato Head hit the shelves in 1952, and it’s starting to lose money. If the company doesn’t act fast, it’ll be headed for bankruptcy in no time. Mattel’s “accessories sold separat...
ListenTranscript
December 21, 2020

Encore: Hasbro vs Mattel | Dream Doll | 1
It’s the late 1940s and two small toymakers are taking their first uneasy steps. The names of these young hopefuls are Hasbro and Mattel. One’s an offshoot of a pencil manufacturer. The other a husband-and-wife garage start-up.  But toy-making, they soon discover, is an unexpectedly cutthroat...
ListenTranscript
December 16, 2020

TikTok vs Instagram | The TikTok Effect | 6
With TikTok’s legal future hanging in the balance, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hasn’t been shy about borrowing what works from the Chinese upstart and replicating it within Instagram. But his copycat feature Reels made more of a ripple than a splash when it debuted. For more on TikTok’s woes, we s...
ListenTranscript
December 14, 2020

TikTok vs Instagram | Lights Out | 5
It's July 2020. TikTok usage has skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it faces an unexpected threat — powerful politicians with their own agenda. Now, TikTok must find a solution or risk being shut down in the U.S.  Instagram, meanwhile, strikes back with a new feature. It's another ...
ListenTranscript
December 9, 2020

TikTok vs Instagram | Hitmaker | 4
It’s November 2018. Mark Zuckerberg takes a hit as his copycat TikTok product fails miserably. Then, Instagram faces another disaster when a security breach draws ire from users. But Zuckerberg decides to launch a direct attack on his Chinese competitor.  TikTok emerges as a major hitmaker in...
ListenTranscript
December 7, 2020

TikTok vs Instagram | Dance, Dance, Revolution | 3
It's August 2016 and Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger are about to pull off the tech equivalent of a heist — and they just might get away with it. But despite its success, Instagram faces trouble at home when Mark Zuckerberg starts rocking the boat. In China, TikTok founder Zha...
ListenTranscript
December 2, 2020

TikTok vs Instagram | Small Place, Big Dream | 2
It’s the mid '90s and Kevin Systrom is editing a video game. It's his first taste of coding, but it won't be his last. When he grows up, he's going to build a product used by more than a billion people.  Across the Pacific Ocean, in a rural part of China, Zhang Yiming is having a very differe...
ListenTranscript
November 30, 2020

TikTok vs Instagram | Codename | 1
It’s July 2010, and Kevin Systrom is on holiday in Mexico when he has an idea for how to save his failing app: offer filters to make users’ photos more appealing. He gets back to San Francisco and teams up with his friend Mike Krieger. Together they launch Instagram, a platform that will revolution...
ListenTranscript
November 25, 2020

Why Black Friday Will Look Different This Year | 8
Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year, will break the mold this year, as the pandemic sends retailers scrambling for new ways to bring in customers while minimizing large crowds. But the changes to American shopping habits predate the pandemic. Host David Brown talks with Business Insi...
ListenTranscript
November 23, 2020

Denim Wars | Are Your Jeans Blue or Red? | 7
Consumers are increasingly looking to buy from brands whose values match their own, and denim is no different. These days, the jeans giants are not only facing down threats from each other, but navigating a new era of partisan consumerism. For more on how denim and other industries are appealing to...
ListenTranscript
November 18, 2020

Denim Wars | The Unravelling | 6
It's 1999 and Levi's is a company in trouble. It's drowning in debt, out of fashion, and hobbled by sub-par distribution. But while Levi's searches for a way to make a comeback, a new, fast-growing enemy is out to convince people to abandon jeans altogether. Listen ad-free on Wondery+ here ...
ListenTranscript
November 16, 2020

Denim Wars | Lord of the Flies | 5
It's the '80s and Levi's is far out in front in the battle for denim dominance.  But Lee owner V.F. Corporation isn't giving up. It's about to make a major move that will pile the pressure on Levi's and threaten its status as market leader. Listen ad-free on Wondery+ here See Privacy ...
ListenTranscript
November 11, 2020

Denim Wars | From Freak to Chic | 4
It's the late '60s and Levi's is seeking to stay on trend by tuning into the flower-power movement taking over San Francisco.  But keeping up with the ever-shifting tides of fashion is harder than it looks and soon Europe will be taking jeans onto an unfamiliar battleground: the catwalk. Li...
ListenTranscript
November 9, 2020

Denim Wars | Storming the Castle | 3
It's the 1950s and young Americans are idolizing the new wave of Hollywood rebels and horrifying their parents by wearing jeans.  But as these post-war renegades take denim duds out of the workplace, the jean giants find themselves between a rock and a hard place. Do they hold fast to their ...
ListenTranscript
November 4, 2020

Denim Wars | Old Western Blues | 2
It's the mid-1800s and a young wholesaler called Levi Strauss is looking to cash in on the California Gold Rush. But when a wandering tailor approaches Strauss with a revolutionary idea, his business takes an unexpected turn into the world of workwear — and it will change his family’s destiny...
ListenTranscript
November 2, 2020

Denim Wars | Cowboys & Indigos | 1
It's the 1930s and Californian jeans maker Levi Strauss & Co. is struggling. The Great Depression is destroying jobs and killing demand for its denim workwear. So when a craze for the Old West boosts demand for jeans, Levi's and its rival Lee seize the moment. But then an unfamiliar stranger s...
ListenTranscript
October 28, 2020

Pandemic Economy: Best of Business Wars Daily | 8
COVID-19 has flipped the economy on its head. But the pandemic’s new normal has also created new opportunities. Against all odds, some businesses are actually thriving -- and we’re not just talking about streaming companies. Today we bring you a roundup of some of our favorite recent stories from o...
ListenTranscript
October 26, 2020

Gallo: Godfathers Of Wine | The Gallo Family Today | 7
When Ernest and Joseph Gallo died in 2007, decades after their brother Julio, it put an end to a family saga that had stretched for the better part of a century. But the company the brothers founded is still going strong. On the show this week is Cyril Penn, Editor In Chief of Wine Business Monthly...
ListenTranscript
October 21, 2020

Gallo: Godfathers of Wine | Wine is Thicker Than Blood | 6
It’s the 1980’s and Gallo rockets to the top of the new lucrative wine cooler market with a brilliant ad campaign for its Bartles and Jaymes brand. But long held resentments, buried secrets and lurking distrust bubble up to the surface when the “unknown Gallo brother,” Joe, Jr., launches a che...
ListenTranscript
October 19, 2020

Gallo: Godfathers of Wine | The Grapes of Wrath | 5
Heading into the turbulent 1960s, Ernest Gallo attempts to conquer the Midwestern wine market by taking on a dangerous associate of Al Capone in Chicago.  As the company grows, the two Gallos join forces in consolidating their control over the family empire and edging their younger brother, J...
ListenTranscript
October 14, 2020

Gallo: Godfathers of Wine | Thunderbird | 4
It’s the 1940s and as American soldiers battle the Axis powers overseas, Ernest and Julio Gallo fulfill lucrative government contracts for jet fuel ingredients made out of ethyl alcohol, known as "torpedo juice.” They also make a risky wager on the volatile grape market. When peace comes, the Gallo...
ListenTranscript
October 12, 2020

Gallo: Godfathers of Wine | The Miracle Year | 3
It’s the 1930s and with Prohibition finally over, Americans are eager to drown themselves in booze. Ernest Gallo persuades his reluctant brother, Julio, to partner with him on starting a winery. Ernest employs every trick in the book to bolster sales, including conning customers, flouting laws and ...
ListenTranscript
October 7, 2020

Gallo: Godfathers of Wine | Violence in the Vineyard | 2
It’s the roaring twenties and Joe Gallo Sr.’s two teenage sons, Ernest and Julio, help run the family’s extensive vineyards and bootlegging operations. Young Ernest plays a tricky game, dealing with Al Capone in Chicago and dodging G-men. But the stock market crash of ’29 pitches the family in...
ListenTranscript
October 5, 2020

Gallo: Godfathers of Wine | The Gangster and The Grape Grower | 1
It's the early 1900’s and two young brothers emigrate from Italy to the US to make their fortunes. In California, they con, grift and bamboozle their fellow immigrants out of thousands of dollars, enough to start a wine business. But when Prohibition shuts that down, they dive into the dangero...
ListenTranscript
September 30, 2020

Pizza Hut vs Domino's | Hut In A Rut? | 7
In 2009, Domino’s went into crisis mode after a prank threatened to ruin the brand’s already substandard image. You might say that was a wake up call. The company would go on to invest heavily in technology and delivery in the intervening years. Meanwhile, Pizza Hut doubled down on its sit-in rest...
ListenTranscript
September 28, 2020

Pizza Hut vs Domino's | The Pizza Confession | 6
It’s 2009 and Domino’s is about to risk everything in a daring bid to shake off its reputation as the home of sub-par pizza. But Pizza Hut’s having a hard time too. Its iconic red-roof restaurants are now holding it back, so the brand looks to satisfy America’s increasingly demanding palate. Lis...
ListenTranscript
September 23, 2020

Pizza Hut vs Domino's | Slices of Science | 5
It’s the 1990s and Domino’s rapid rise on the back of its 30-minute delivery guarantee is about to smash straight into a legal roadblock.  And while Domino’s extracts itself from the wreckage, Pizza Hut’s cooking up a new recipe for success. Its latest creation will horrify purists and help t...
ListenTranscript
September 22, 2020

Sponsored | Seoul Taco Founder David Choi on the ‘Right Way’ to Expand a Business | 2
Last week, we gave you the first half of our interview with Seoul Taco Founder David Choi. If you didn't catch that part of our conversation, we encourage you to go back and check it out. Since starting his Seoul Taco business eight years ago, Choi has expanded to seven total locations in Illinois...
ListenTranscript
September 21, 2020

Pizza Hut vs Domino's | Deliverance | 4
It’s the late 1980s and Domino’s founder Tom Monaghan’s living the high life. After years of struggle, he’s a billionaire and he’s buying up plenty of status symbols to prove it.  But as Pizza Hut tries to rally a counter-attack, a day of reckoning is fast approaching for the pizza delivery p...
ListenTranscript
September 16, 2020

Pizza Hut vs Domino's | Delivering the Goods | 3
It’s the ‘80s and Domino’s is gunning for Pizza Hut. Domino’s has kickstarted the speediest expansion program in fast-food history and it’s not planning on stopping until it’s planted its flag in every corner of the USA. But while Domino’s goes on the attack, Pizza Hut finds itself caught between...
ListenTranscript
September 15, 2020

Sponsored | From Food Truck to Franchise: How David Choi Started Seoul Taco | 1
Before you’re ready for a full-fledged “Business War,” you need to start somewhere. David Choi put it all on the line and drained his bank account to buy his first food truck.  Eight years later, Choi’s bold vision for Korean and Mexican fusion has made an impact on the culinary scene.  ...
ListenTranscript
September 14, 2020

Pizza Hut vs Domino's | Meltdown | 2
It’s the dawn of the 1970s and Pizza Hut is about to join America's business elite by floating on the stock exchange. But the Kansas pizza giant’s moment of triumph turns into defeat. But while Pizza Hut’s been charming investors on Wall Street, Domino’s is living on skid row. And founder Tom Mona...
ListenTranscript
September 9, 2020

Pizza Hut vs Domino's | Rolling out | 1
It’s 1958 and on the East and West Coasts, all the cool cats are chowing down on pizza. Yet in the heartland, far away from the buzz of New York and LA, pizza is still rarely seen, let alone eaten. But that’s all about to change, thanks to a new pizzeria opened by two brothers in a hut in Kansas. ...
ListenTranscript
September 7, 2020

FedEx vs UPS | FedEx, UPS and Amazon’s Close Ties to the Postal Service | 7
In our last episode, Amazon had once again taken a financial hit to get ahead in the shipping game, cutting out its need for FedEx and UPS, and turning them into the competition. But there’s one more link in the shipping chain that FedEx, UPS and even Amazon hasn’t cut loose: The United States Post...
ListenTranscript
September 2, 2020

FedEx vs UPS | Deal with the Devil | 6
Both FedEx and UPS are doing a lot of business with e-commerce companies, especially Amazon. But after one disastrous Christmas season when both companies have difficulty delivering in time for Christmas, Amazon decides it’s time to bring shipping in-house. Going forward, UPS and FedEx’s bigge...
ListenTranscript
August 31, 2020

FedEx vs UPS | On the Line | 5
With UPS expanding aggressively into Europe and other continents, FedEx decides to bet big on China. But it’s a risky strategy that initially looks like it’s going to fall short.   Meanwhile, UPS tries to maintain its competitive advantage by pushing for more productivity from its w...
ListenTranscript
August 26, 2020

FedEx vs UPS | When in Rome... | 4
UPS decides it’s time to expand its market outside North America and makes a big push into Western Europe. But it’s harder than expected to integrate its corporate culture with European norms.   FedEx CEO Fred Smith eschews European expansion and goes all-in on a risky new service c...
ListenTranscript
August 24, 2020

FedEx vs UPS | We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Plane | 3
Finally financially stable, FedEx takes on the US government to overturn regulations that limit the size of the planes they can fly. Convinced the regulations are limiting its growth, FedEx launches a multi-pronged strategy to persuade Congress to change the rules. And UPS realizes it needs t...
ListenTranscript
August 19, 2020

FedEx vs UPS | Vegas or Bust | 2
After a disastrous start, FedEx needs to change its sales pitch or it will run out of money before it even has a chance to take off.  Smith resorts to surprising means to raise the money to keep his fledgling company going. UPS is convinced FedEx will be out of business in a matter of months....
ListenTranscript
August 17, 2020

FedEx vs UPS | Kick the Tire, Light the Fires | 1
It’s the early 1970s, and 27-year-old Fred Smith has an idea for a new kind of package delivery service, one that uses its own planes to deliver packages in under 24 hours. Skeptics tell him the start-up costs are too high and the demand too low, but Smith thinks he’s found a way to make it wo...
ListenTranscript
August 12, 2020

Dating App Wars | Dating Apps Pivot as COVID-19 Continues | 7
Almost one in three relationships start as online encounters. But the popularity of dating apps isn’t surprising with so many to choose from, and the pandemic may even be boosting dating app use. For more on how COVID-19 has changed online dating, and how apps are adapting, David speaks today with...
ListenTranscript
August 10, 2020

Dating App Wars | An App-rehensive Future | 6
Whitney Wolfe Herd establishes Bumble with a strident anti-misogyny agenda, but that foundation is rocked when shocking accusations of sexual harassment surface against Wolfe Herd’s co-founder.  Meanwhile, the revolutionary gay app Grindr goes through a scandalous upheaval when a Chinese comp...
ListenTranscript
August 5, 2020

Dating App Wars | Are You Ready to Bumble? | 5
Niche apps are kicking into high gear for users with specific criteria, and there’s something for everyone: muzmatch for Muslims, Mouse Mingle for Disney fans, Twindog for canine lovers, Sizzl for bacon aficionados, Bristl for beard enthusiasts and Dead Meet for morticians and other death professio...
ListenTranscript
August 3, 2020

Dating App Wars | Crimes of Passion | 4
What seemed like a run of the mill office romance gone very, very wrong will result in a devastating upheaval in the power structure at Tinder. And repercussions will be felt throughout the industry as Whitney Wolfe exacts some delicious corporate revenge. And as the cyber dating world is rocked b...
ListenTranscript
July 29, 2020

Dating App Wars | The Revolution Will Be Swiped | 3
A new app aimed at gay users is about to break open an entirely new feature that will redefine the cyber dating business. And a young man emerging from a shower gets his inspiration for a new hookup site as he wipes the steam from his mirror.  Soon Tinder is on fire, but the conglomerate Matc...
ListenTranscript
July 27, 2020

Dating App Wars | eHarmonic Convergence | 2
Dr. Neil Clark Warren is a 63-year-old theologian and clinical psychologist with a vision for a site he’s certain can lead to romantic success. eHarmony will be the first to take on the powerful Match.com. And Warren believes he is on—quite literally—a sacred mission to offer something that Match.c...
ListenTranscript
July 22, 2020

Dating App Wars | Lighting Up Match.com | 1
It’s 1995, and computer dating is in its infancy. Most people think it’s a dark, sleazy world for desperate losers and horny perverts. But that’s all about to change. Pioneer site Match.com paves the way for cyber dating to move toward mainstream culture, but—in an era when few people even use a co...
ListenTranscript
July 20, 2020

Diamond Wars | The Future of the Diamond Industry | 8
Today we conclude our Diamond Wars series.  These precious stones are known to be undeniably beautiful, rare and a symbol of luxury. But diamonds have also been associated with war, human rights abuses and death. In response, consumers these days are demanding more transparency about whe...
ListenTranscript
July 15, 2020

Diamond Wars | The Alchemists | 7
It’s the 2000s and the diamond cartel is dead. Now, De Beers must adjust to its new status as the market leader rather than the monopoly. But the threats to its business aren’t going away.   Diamonds are losing their luster with the young, and Zimbabwe’s undermining the industry’s respon...
ListenTranscript
July 13, 2020

Diamond Wars | Monopolies Aren’t Forever | 6
It’s the late 1990s and rebel armies in Angola, Sierra Leone and Congo are bankrolling campaigns of mass murder and terror with diamonds. Now, after years of turning a blind eye, the diamond-buying public is starting to notice the bloodshed.  But as the issue of so-called “blood diamonds” ris...
ListenTranscript
July 8, 2020

Diamond Wars | Blood and Champagne | 5
It’s 1966 and De Beers is about to abandon its eleven-year search for diamonds in Botswana. But the geologist behind the search is far from ready to pack up his tools. And De Beers isn’t the only one searching for gemstones. Soon, a major diamond find in Australia will leave the diamond monopoly f...
ListenTranscript
July 6, 2020

Diamond Wars | The Shadow World | 4
It’s the early 1950s and West Africa’s growing number of diamond smugglers is causing headaches for De Beers.  Faced with millions of pounds in losses, the diamond monopoly decides it’s time to get tough with the smugglers. But while De Beers battles the illicit diamond traders, in the far e...
ListenTranscript
July 1, 2020

Diamond Wars | Diamond Dogfight | 3
It’s 1940, and the world is at war. The Allies and Axis powers are scrambling to lock down supplies of the industrial diamonds needed to mass produce their tanks, planes and submarines. But when the White House demands De Beers hands over a year’s supply of industrial diamonds, it soon learns the ...
ListenTranscript
June 29, 2020

Diamond Wars | The Puppet Master | 2
It’s 1914 and De Beers’s monopoly is under threat. Diamonds have been discovered on the desolate coast of the German colony of South West Africa. So it hired an ambitious diamond expert named Ernest Oppenheimer and gave him his orders: head to the beach and assess the threat. But then World War O...
ListenTranscript
June 24, 2020

Diamond Wars | The Diamond Rush | 1
It’s 1869 and diamonds have been found in Cape Colony.  Now, diamond hunters from across the world are heading to this remote British outpost in southern Africa, seeking a glittering fortune. And among them are two wide-eyed hopefuls: streetwise Barney Barnato, who hails from the London slum...
ListenTranscript
June 22, 2020

Uber vs Lyft | Examining Toxic Company Culture in the Rideshare Industry | 7
Uber and Lyft have made their mark as very different brands. Lyft was born out of a need for more environmentally friendly rideshare options. And is also seen as the “friendlier” of the two companies. While Uber’s former CEO, Travis Kalanick built a reputation for ruthlessness, sexual harassment a...
ListenTranscript
June 17, 2020

Uber vs Lyft | Evolve or Die | 6
New CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is cleaning house after the departure of Travis Kalanick. But after a disappointing IPO, Khosrowshahi has to boost the company’s ailing financials and fight against lawmakers who are siding with aggrieved drivers. Then COVID-19 hits. Uber and Lyft are faced with a crisi...
ListenTranscript
June 15, 2020

Uber vs Lyft | Damage Control | 5
February 2017, Super Bowl Sunday. Uber CEO Travis Kalanick is taking a black car home when he gets in an altercation with the driver. LIttle does he know, the entire exchange has been captured on a dashcam recording. And when it goes viral, Kalanick will have to fight for his reputation — and his j...
ListenTranscript
June 10, 2020

Uber vs Lyft | Kill or Be Killed | 4
Uber is facing blowback from all directions — the taxi industry, riders, and the most important man in tech: Apple's Tim Cook. Uber’s been engaged in some disreputable activity, and it's finally catching up with them.  Lyft forges ahead and forms a new alliance to fight back against Uber's ...
ListenTranscript
June 8, 2020

Uber vs Lyft | Race to the Bottom | 3
It's 2013, and Lyft's CEO John Zimmer is hosting a little celebration for drivers when some very unwelcome interlopers turn up to crash the party. Uber’s Travis Kalanick wants to destroy Lyft at any cost, and he's willing to do what it takes to outmaneuver his competitor and steal its riders and dr...
ListenTranscript
June 3, 2020

Uber vs Lyft | Revenge Business | 2
It's the late '90s, and Travis Kalanick is hanging out in his dorm room at UCLA. He’s having a file-sharing party with his friends that leads to his first business. But Kalanick’s forced to grow up quickly as he learns that naïveté can cost you millions and Silicon Valley investors aren’t all they’...
ListenTranscript
June 1, 2020

Uber vs Lyft | Black Cars and Pink Mustaches | 1
It’s December 2008, and two friends and fellow tech entrepreneurs, Garrett Camp and Travis Kalanick, can't get a taxi. Camp’s already obsessed with the idea of a service that summons a private driver with the push of a button, but now Kalanick gets the appeal. Together, they'll build Uber, and do w...
ListenTranscript
May 27, 2020

Business Battles | Toilet Paper Wars: White Gold | 5
Quarantine restrictions during the coronavirus have induced toilet paper panic-buying as people scratch, claw and punch each other to get rolls. But why? What’s behind the frenzy, and how will that affect the TP industry?  In the last 150 years, it’s grown from selling humble boxes of paper t...
ListenTranscript
May 20, 2020

Business Battles | Tetris: Soviet Blocks | 4
It’s 1988, and Tetris is making waves. It’s billed as the first Soviet video game, and it’s selling fast. But the man who introduced it to the West harbors a secret: he doesn’t own the rights. And when his subterfuge fails, a multi-million-dollar battle to win over the communist regime breaks out ...
ListenTranscript
May 18, 2020

Business Battles | Cola Space Race: One Giant Sip for Mankind | 3
It’s 1984 and the cola war is neck and neck. After years of struggle, Pepsi looks ready to triumph over Coca-Cola.  So Coke’s striking back by opening a new battlefront in the quest for soda supremacy: outer space.  But its plan to send its world-famous drink into orbit won’t stay secre...
ListenTranscript
May 13, 2020

Business Battles | Monopoly: Winner Takes All | 2
It's 1902 and political campaigner Lizzie Magie is fighting a losing battle. For years, she’s pushed the idea of a land-value tax, but fewer and fewer people are listening. So she’s going to try something new to spread the word. She’s going to make a board game – and not just any game. Magie’s gam...
ListenTranscript
May 11, 2020

Amazon vs Walmart | How COVID-19 Could Change the Retail Landscape | 7
Since the novel coronavirus hit, Amazon and Walmart have seen a rise in profits, unlike many other retailers. But there have also been struggles to keep up with the flood of customer demands during the pandemic. Hundreds of thousands of workers have been hired collectively between Amazon and Walma...
ListenTranscript
May 7, 2020

Sponsored: When Small Businesses Think Big - Chobani & Wrigley (Dell Podference) | 2
This episode is brought to you by Wondery in partnership with Dell Technologies. In honor of small businesses, we’re featuring inspiring stories of successful companies that started out small. In upstate New York, a Kurdish immigrant wants to make his biggest dream come true: to produce the tart, ...
ListenTranscript
May 6, 2020

Amazon vs Walmart - The Stealth Enemy | 6
As the COVID-19 virus spreads across the globe and forces people inside their homes for months, the world relies on online shopping more than ever. Amazon and Walmart both struggle to keep up with surging demand as their legendary infrastructures are put to the test. And workers inside both compani...
ListenTranscript
May 5, 2020

Sponsored: When Small Businesses Think Big - Atari & Red Bull (Dell Podference) | 1
This episode is brought to you by Wondery in partnership with Dell Technologies. In honor of small businesses, we’re featuring inspiring stories of successful companies that started out small. In 1972, pinball machines and mechanical games ruled the arcades. Then, Atari founders Nolan Bushnell and...
ListenTranscript
May 4, 2020

Amazon vs Walmart - Food Fight! | 5
Amazon decides to go after Walmart’s biggest category: fresh food. But moving into groceries is harder than Bezos expected. Meanwhile, Walmart has finally found success in marrying their online operation with their brick and mortar stores by allowing consumers to order groceries online and pick the...
ListenTranscript
April 29, 2020

Amazon vs Walmart - There’s No Business Like Shoe Business | 4
Walmart finally decides to focus aggressively on its e-commerce division, but struggles with the best way to use the internet to reach consumers. They decide their best strategy is to buy up successful online retailers. Unbeknownst to Walmart, Amazon, which is looking to move into apparel sales, is...
ListenTranscript
April 27, 2020

Amazon vs Walmart - Priming the Public | 3
By the mid-2000s, Walmart is starting to show some cracks. They are still successful, but bad press and sluggish growth are taking a toll on their earnings. The company debates the best way to move forward, including focusing on online sales, something they’ve long eschewed. As Walmart waffles, Ama...
ListenTranscript
April 22, 2020

Amazon vs Walmart - Provoking the Giant | 2
In the late 1990s, Walmart is happily trucking along, dominating the American retail market. They’re expanding locations and increasing their own backend efficiencies to keep prices low. It’s a formula that’s worked for decades and they see no reason to change now. But as Bezos expands Amazon’s of...
ListenTranscript
April 20, 2020

Amazon vs Walmart - The Big Bang Theory of E-Commerce | 1
Ninety-six percent of Americans now shop online, snapping up everything from rare coins to industrial-sized barrels of hand sanitizer. Almost half of those purchases take place on one website: Amazon.  But before sales were a click away, Walmart was the top dog, decimating main streets across...
ListenTranscript
April 15, 2020

An Inside Look at The North Face with Former CEO Hap Klopp | 7
One of the key players in the story of The North Face is Hap Klopp, who in 1968, bought the then-burgeoning outdoor sports equipment store. He bought the company for the bargain price of $60,000. Klopp was CEO of The North Face for the next 20 years, and turned the small chain of Bay Area stores i...
ListenTranscript
April 13, 2020

The North Face vs Patagonia - Eco-Samurai | 6
It’s 2010 and Yvon Chouinard is about to give Patagonia’s executives their toughest challenge yet: telling people to buy less Patagonia gear. Meanwhile, The North Face is playing catch up on environmental responsibility with a spate on new initiatives. But soon, the two rivals will find themselve...
ListenTranscript
April 8, 2020

The North Face vs Patagonia - Rescue Mission | 5
It’s the late 1990s and The North Face is seeking to attract mainstream customers by opening hundreds of Summit Shops within the nation’s stores. But when the expected avalanche of sales fails to materialize, the company finds itself slipping over the edge. Meanwhile, Patagonia steps up its missi...
ListenTranscript
April 6, 2020

The North Face vs Patagonia - Zen and the Art of Business | 4
It’s the dawn of the 1990s and Yvon Chouinard is struggling to come to terms with his new status as a successful entrepreneur. He cannot decide what to do with the fast-growing monster he’s created.   Meanwhile, The North Face’s new owner Odyssey International is pushing the limits as it...
ListenTranscript
April 1, 2020

The North Face vs Patagonia - Patagucci | 3
It’s the late 1970s and Patagonia’s living hand to mouth and looking for a way to stoke sales. But when founder Yvon Chouinard suggests making a jersey from an unusual fabric, Patagonia creates a mountain staple and finds its products becoming a favorite of the catwalk crowd. Meanwhile, The North ...
ListenTranscript
March 30, 2020

The North Face vs Patagonia - Blazing Trails | 2
It’s 1970 and The North Face’s new owner Hap Klopp is on a mission to turn the dirtbag outdoor store he bought into an industry trailblazer. But with outdoor activity still a niche pastime, he’s going to have to do more than create gear – he’s going to have to create a market too. But Klopp’s not ...
ListenTranscript
March 25, 2020

The North Face vs Patagonia - Dirtbags | 1
It’s the 1960s, and two climbing buddies are about to lay the foundations for a new industry. The older of the two is an outdoorsman and part-time blacksmith Yvon Chouinard. His younger buddy is Doug Tompkins, who abandoned his Connecticut rich-kid life to find his kicks in the wilderness. Niethe...
ListenTranscript
March 23, 2020

Starbucks vs Dunkin - Luckin: China’s Coffee Dark Horse | 7
There’s no doubt that Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts have created empires throughout the U.S. and internationally. Starbucks has more than 15,000 locations in the U.S. alone, and Dunkin Donuts is now in 43 countries. But there could be yet ANOTHER brewing business that’s raring to make a dent in Starb...
ListenTranscript
March 18, 2020

Starbucks vs Dunkin - The Cold Rush | 6
Dunkin and Starbucks are going full on 21st century, doing all they can to top each other with new concept stores, vast emporiums, vegan food options, oat milk lattes and “high- velocity innovations.” But the real world keeps intruding and they can’t get away from it. For all their success, can the...
ListenTranscript
March 16, 2020

Starbucks vs Dunkin - A Grande Fail | 5
The Great Recession doesn’t play favorites and both Starbucks and Dunkin are hit hard. As more customers make coffee at home, Dunkin leans into its reputation as the “everyman’s brand” to lure them back. Meanwhile, Starbucks looks to cash in on an untapped beverage market with a risky move. An...
ListenTranscript
March 11, 2020

Starbucks vs Dunkin - Trouble is Brewing | 4
Howard Schultz can hardly believe the mess his company is in, with sales in free fall. To pull out of it, he’ll need to make a radical move. Yet no matter what he does, Starbucks’ problems only get worse. And Dunkin Donuts is in expansion mode, looking to capitalize on the coffee giant’s missteps. ...
ListenTranscript
March 9, 2020

Starbucks vs Dunkin - Schultz vs The Bean Counters | 3
Howard Schultz has found his mission. He’s burning to turn Starbucks into an espresso bar business, but he can’t convince Starbucks owners to get onboard. Back in the Northeast, Bill Rosenberg is frustrated too. His son, who’s now Dunkin Donut’s CEO, has ideas that seem sure to wreck the compa...
ListenTranscript
March 4, 2020

Starbucks vs Dunkin - Mission Espresso | 2
While Dunkin Donuts expands and flourishes, Howard Schultz is bored. But then the 28-year-old New Yorker gets wind of a Seattle company with just four stores that’s selling more coffee makers than Macy’s. He’s got to know why. So he heads to Seattle to check out this company that calls itself Starb...
ListenTranscript
March 2, 2020

Starbucks vs Dunkin - A Steamy Culture Clash | 1
A former high school dropout named Bill Rosenberg has big dreams and a passion for coffee. In 1950, in the small town of Quincy, Massachusetts he’s got a thriving coffee and donut shop called Dunkin Donuts. In front of the store he proudly puts up a huge sign that reads, World’s Finest Coffee . Bu...
ListenTranscript
February 24, 2020

Nintendo vs Sony - No Surrender | 6
After years of sitting on the sidelines of the next-generation console war, Nintendo is finally ready to make its move. But, the years it’s spent building it’s reassuring family-friendly reputation is now a weakness. Nintendo children of the 80s are all grown up, and want adult games. Sony is able ...
ListenTranscript
February 19, 2020

Nintendo vs Sony - The Sleeping Giant | 5
Nintendo decided early on that the Nintendo 64 would be a cartridge console, instead of a CD console. But CDs are much cheaper to make and have much better graphics. Game companies are upset, and defect to Sony. In a few months time, Sony has two of the most popular game series in Japan to itself. ...
ListenTranscript
February 17, 2020

Nintendo vs Sony - Game Time | 4
This is a story about Sony and Nintendo, but it also involves a little company called Sega. Ever play Sonic the Hedgehog? That’s Sega. And during Nintendo’s domination of the US market, they were the only company able to fight back. That is, until they tried to outplay Sony. Support us by suppo...
ListenTranscript
February 12, 2020

Nintendo vs Sony - Charm Offensive | 3
From the moment it began, the PlayStation project was in danger. The problem was none other than PlayStations knight and chief advocate: Kutaragi. He thought the now-iconic handlebar controller design was “too different” from the flat rectangles people were used to. To make matters worse, PlayStati...
ListenTranscript
February 10, 2020

Nintendo vs Sony - Man of Steel | 2
It's 1949. 22-year old Hiroshi Yamauchi is the heir apparent for his family's playing card company, Nintendo. From humble beginnings as a scrappy street stall founded in Kyoto's back alleys to the largest card company in Japan by the time Yamauchi takes over, this isn't a company that backs down ea...
ListenTranscript
February 5, 2020

Nintendo vs Sony - Stabbed in the Back | 1
Once a symbol of 80s teenage nerdom, video games are now as common as television sets in American households. Can you imagine a world where the Sony PlayStation didn’t come out? That’s what almost happened. Originally conceived as a joint venture between Nintendo and Sony, the SNES-CD was supposed ...
ListenTranscript
January 27, 2020

Boeing vs Airbus - The Max Controversy | 7
For more than 50 years, a version of Boeing's 737 aircraft has sailed the skies, dominating the market for short-range, short-haul domestic planes. The 737 is the best-selling commercial aircraft of all time. But competition in the late 1980s got fierce when Airbus entered the market with its model...
ListenTranscript
January 22, 2020

Boeing vs Airbus - Mayday | 6
It’s 2011 and Airbus and Boeing are battling for the biggest deal in commercial aviation history. American Airlines is looking to buy 460 single-aisle airplanes and with the European jet giant going all out to win the contract, Boeing’s under pressure. But when the U.S. plane maker makes a daring s...
ListenTranscript
January 20, 2020

Boeing vs Airbus - Losing Altitude | 5
It’s the 2000s and after years of talk, Airbus is pushing ahead with its plan to build the biggest passenger jet in the world. But while Airbus is thinking bigger, Boeing’s thinking faster. It’s designing a near-supersonic aircraft called the Sonic Cruiser that it reckons will put some zip into its...
ListenTranscript
January 15, 2020

Boeing vs Airbus - An Unholy Alliance | 4
It’s the late 1980s and following the A320 crash at the Habsheim Air Show in eastern France, the safety of Airbus’s computerized flight system is being called into question. But Boeing’s got troubles too. Airlines aren’t warming to its latest product proposal, it’s losing market share, and Airbus i...
ListenTranscript
January 13, 2020

Boeing vs Airbus - Air Bandits | 3
It’s the late 1970s and Airbus is on cloud nine after securing a breakthrough deal with Eastern Airlines. But Boeing’s not taking the consortium’s intrusion into American airspace lightly. And it’s going to use every trick in the book to take down the European challenger. But with help from some po...
ListenTranscript
January 8, 2020

Boeing vs Airbus - Cleared for Takeoff | 2
It’s 1970 and the Boeing 747 is finally airborne. But bringing this behemoth to market has taken Boeing to the edge of collapse. And it will take years of belt-tightening and perseverance to overcome this jumbo hangover. Luckily, the Seattle manufacturer’s competition is in disarray and its major ...
ListenTranscript
January 6, 2020

Boeing vs Airbus - Get Your Wings | 1
It’s the 1950s, the dawn of the jet age. And leading the world into this era of faster, less shaky flights is the British-made De Havilland Comet. But when disaster strikes, a hungry American military plane maker called Boeing spots a golden opportunity to break into the civil aviation big leagues...
ListenTranscript
January 1, 2020

Ford vs Chevrolet - Technology in the Fast Lane | 4
It's been a hard fought battle for decades, and in the 1970s there's no signs of Ford or Chevrolet slowing down. But this time they're fighting on new grounds, ones dominated by Japanese cars. Honda, Toyota and Datsun dominate the market, and Ford and Chevy seem like they're just... running out of ...
ListenTranscript
December 30, 2019

Ford vs Chevrolet - Fast and Sexy | 3
In the 1960s, the biggest generation of Americans of all time are reaching driving age. They want cars, and they want them to be fast and powerful, and they want them now. The best showcase for these cars is by winning races, and in the 1960s, Ford and Chevy are gunning for each other at every turn...
ListenTranscript
December 25, 2019

Ford vs Chevrolet - Detroit Joins the War | 2
FDR believed that WWII was a contest of mass production. Whoever could build the most trucks, tanks, guns and airplanes would come out on top. What power could defeat the United States of America and its massive automobile industry? But for Roosevelt’s arsenal to work automakers will have to put as...
ListenTranscript
December 23, 2019

Ford vs Chevrolet - Tin Lizzie Becomes Roadkill | 1
In 1896, Henry Ford puttered around Detroit streets testing his “Quadricycle.” This was the whimsical beginning to a revolution that redesigned the landscape of America. Cars changed the way America lived, worked, ate, shopped, and listened to music. And more than 100 years ago, the entire industr...
ListenTranscript
December 18, 2019

Macy’s vs Gimbels - Last Store Standing | 6
It’s the 1960s and as Americans flee cities for the suburbs, Macy’s and Gimbels face tough choices. How do they compete with the rise of discount retailers and the exciting new shopping palaces known as malls? Weakened by industry disruption, both stores become vulnerable to the new wave of financi...
ListenTranscript
December 16, 2019

Macy’s vs Gimbels - Wartime Wagers | 5
In the late 1930s Gimbels makes a risky bet by stockpiling goods likely to be scarce in wartime. They also snap up their rival’s star copywriter, who does the best work of her career at their shop. Their savvy planning and advertising strength position them well for the post-war period, when Americ...
ListenTranscript
December 11, 2019

Macy’s vs Gimbels - Diversify or Die | 4
It’s the 1920s and wealthy flappers and captains of industry have money to burn for raccoon coats and monogrammed sterling silver hip flasks. Gimbels makes a risky acquisition of Saks Fifth Avenue, that ends up floating Gimbels through hard times and family tragedy during the Depression. Macy’s cou...
ListenTranscript
December 9, 2019

Macy’s vs Gimbels - Showdown over Manhattan | 3
It’s nearing the turn of the 19th century, and the Straus Brothers now run Macy’s emporium out of a dozen cobbled together stores in lower Manhattan. The next generation of Straus’s pressure the old guard to build a huge new Macy’s flagship on 34th street, in the still seedy red light district of H...
ListenTranscript
December 4, 2019

Macy’s vs Gimbels - Fathers, Sons, and Civil War | 2
As R.H. Macy’s Manhattan emporium and reputation grow during the Civil War, his teenage son rebels and runs away to join the Union army. When the boy goes AWOL, the future of Macy’s burgeoning department store faces jeopardy. But salvation arrives in the form of another recent immigrant from war-to...
ListenTranscript
December 2, 2019

Macy’s vs Gimbels - The Frontiersman and the Whaler | 1
It's the mid 1800s and two very different young men set out in the world to make their fortunes. A young boy from Nantucket spends four years at sea on a whaling ship, the other becomes an itinerant peddler in the wilds of Indiana. These two adventurers, R.H. Macy and Adam Gimbel, eventually settle...
ListenTranscript
November 27, 2019

The Raisin Cartels - Gambling the Future | 3
In the midst of their heated negotiations over the price of raisins, the CEO of Sun-Maid and the head of the Raisin Bargaining Association face off, each making their pitch about the state of the raisin industry and the road forward. It’s the first time the two men have been able to appeal directly...
ListenTranscript
November 25, 2019

The Raisin Cartels - A New Sheriff in Raisin Land | 2
Facing a shrinking raisin market, Sun-Maid hires a new CEO with a mandate to make raisins popular with Millennials. He believes part of the reason consumers are spurning raisins is the price and is set on Sun-Maid paying less money to farmers. This puts him on a collision course with the old school...
ListenTranscript
November 20, 2019

The Raisin Cartels: A Desperate Brotherhood | 1
The humble raisin: it’s hard to imagine that dried grapes are at the center of one of the longest running business wars in the United States. But with almost all of the country’s raisins coming from a small area in California’s Central Valley, it is a brutal and cutthroat industry. In the early 20...
ListenTranscript
November 18, 2019

Chocolate and Sustainability | 7
Growing the cocoa needed to produce chocolate on the scale a company like Mars or Hershey needs is an immense undertaking. One serious consequence chocolate producers are now facing is deforestation in countries that grow the cocoa for the world's chocolate demands. The Washington Post reports that...
ListenTranscript
November 13, 2019

Hershey vs Mars - Global Chocolate Domination | 6
It’s a new century and Hershey’s facing unexpected trouble at home — a showdown between the company and its biggest shareholder that threatens its independence.  Meanwhile, Mars is on a mission to become the world’s candy king. And with Hershey yet to break ground outside the U.S., the opport...
ListenTranscript
November 11, 2019

Hershey vs Mars - A Chocolate Rolls Royce | 5
It’s the late 1970s and Mars is America’s top confectioner. But Hershey is hungry for a comeback. It’s plotting a return to the top powered by a rush of new candies it hopes can nibble away at Mars’ market share. Not that Mars has any intention of surrendering pole position without a fight. It thi...
ListenTranscript
November 6, 2019

Hershey vs Mars - Mars Attacks! | 4
It’s 1965 and Forrest Mars has just become the manufacturer of Snickers and M&M’s. He is now – at last – ready to duke it out with Hershey in a battle to become the number one candy maker in America. And he knows Hershey is far from prepared for his sudden switch from ally to enemy. Hershey is...
ListenTranscript
November 4, 2019

Hershey vs Mars - A Candy-Coated Prayer | 3
It’s the 1940s and Forrest Mars’ plan to create a candy empire is stepping up a gear. He’s plotting to seize control of his dad’s company Mars and turn it into a Hershey killer. First he needs to get his new candy venture off the ground. But to do that he needs help. Help from Hershey. But while ...
ListenTranscript
October 30, 2019

Hershey vs Mars - Blast Off | 2
It’s 1923 and the Hershey Chocolate Company dominates the candy bar business. With its milk chocolate Hershey bar and bite-sized Kisses, Hershey seems impossible to beat.  But in a Chicago police station, an awkward father-son reunion is about to sire a new challenger in the candy business. ...
ListenTranscript
October 28, 2019

Hershey vs Mars - Chocolate Town | 1
It’s 1886 and in New York City, a young confectioner called Milton Hershey is desperately trying to save his business. He’s been struggling for years. He founded his first candy business in Philadelphia, only to watch it collapse. His second venture lasted just weeks. Now, he’s loaded up with debt...
ListenTranscript
October 23, 2019

Facebook vs Snapchat - TikTok, The New Social Media Sensation | 7
The social media world moves fast, and the next big thing is already upon us. It’s called TikTok. A video-based app where users create short clips to share with the world, TikTok is growing at a rapid rate. The app has already been downloaded a billion times and boasts 500 million active users arou...
ListenTranscript
October 21, 2019

Facebook vs Snapchat - Snapchat’s Comeback | 6
It’s June 2018. Mark Zuckerberg is struggling and morale at the social media giant is low. Facebook has been battered by data breaches and there’s no end in sight. Meanwhile, Evan Spiegel has a chance to turn Snapchat around by refocusing on the teens who’ve abandoned Facebook.  As Snapc...
ListenTranscript
October 16, 2019

Facebook vs Snapchat - Stock Market Tailspin | 5
It’s April 2017, and Mark Zuckerberg is issuing a new challenge to Snapchat. By making its face filters open source, the tech giant is coming directly for Snapchat's most popular feature. But founder Evan Spiegel has other things to worry about: Snapchat is hemorrhaging users, and its share price i...
ListenTranscript
October 14, 2019

Facebook vs Snapchat - Facebook Fights Back | 4
It's September 2015 and Snapchat has just hit on a game-changer for the young company: filters that augment users' faces. Thanks to some celebrity love, the new feature becomes wildly popular. But Mark Zuckerberg is watching closely, and acquires a competing startup. Then, Zuckerberg switches...
ListenTranscript
October 9, 2019

Facebook vs Snapchat - The Offer | 3
It’s November 2013, and Mark Zuckerberg is about to make Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy an offer he thinks they can't refuse. But when Spiegel and Murphy do the unimaginable, it prompts Facebook to compete — by copying. Snapchat is gathering steam, but data leaks are hurting the company's credibili...
ListenTranscript
October 7, 2019

Facebook vs Snapchat - Children of Privilege | 2
It's the new millennium and Mark Zuckerberg is bored in high school. He's a prodigious student so smart he's already taking graduate level coding classes at Mercy College. Soon, he's going to build a product that will change the Internet forever. Now he just has to graduate high school. Evan Spieg...
ListenTranscript
October 2, 2019

Facebook vs Snapchat - Vanishing Act | 1
It’s April 2011, and Evan Spiegel is about to present his class project. Right now, it's called Picaboo. Soon, it's going to become Snapchat. But for Spiegel, this is more important than grades--at stake are potential investors and the future of communication as we know it.  Mark Zuckerberg, ...
ListenTranscript
September 30, 2019

WWF vs WCW - The Future of Pro Wrestling | 7
World Wrestling Entertainment is the dominant name in professional wrestling but new promotions are now challenging the WWE’s dominance. We conclude our series on WWF vs WCW with David Shoemaker, author of The Squared Circle: Life, Death, and Professional Wrestling. Shoemaker joins us to talk about...
ListenTranscript
September 25, 2019

WWF vs WCW - Down for the Count | 6
It’s 1998 and the slugfest between Vince McMahon’s WWF and Ted Turner’s WCW is reaching a critical juncture. McMahon’s on a mission to pull wrestling fans back to his TV shows with a strategy focused on maximum controversy. And to help him in his mission, he’s getting back-up from a high-flying TV...
ListenTranscript
September 23, 2019

WWF vs WCW - Shock Tactics | 5
It’s 1996 and with Monday Nitro topping the TV ratings, WCW is out to end WWF’s time as the biggest player in the wrestling business. It’s plotting to establish two brands: one that WCW boss Eric Bischoff hopes can suck away WWF’s family audience, another that will seek to capture the young males ...
ListenTranscript
September 18, 2019

WWF vs WCW - New World Order | 4
It’s 1995 and the Monday Night Wars are underway. WCW’s new show Monday Nitro is grappling with the WWF’s Monday Night Raw to win TV viewers’ attention. WCW isn’t pulling its punches either. Under the command of Eric Bischoff, WCW is dropping spoiler bombs, luring away WWF’s top wrestlers and tras...
ListenTranscript
September 16, 2019

WWF vs WCW - Prime Time | 3
It’s 1994 and WCW is stepping up its game. To get the jump on WWF, Ted Turner is writing big checks to steal away the WWF’s biggest stars and sponsors. And as WCW’s star power increases, so does its popularity with wrestling fans. But the WWF is in no position to fight back. It’s struggling to kee...
ListenTranscript
September 11, 2019

WWF vs WCW - Bulking Up | 2
It’s the dawn of the 1990s and Vince McMahon’s WWF is the king of wrestling. But trouble’s brewing: a steroids scandal is about to deal a body blow to the WWF and its family-friendly reputation. The scandal will leave WWF stuck in damage control mode as it fights to stem the losses from falling TV...
ListenTranscript
September 9, 2019

WWF vs WCW - Titan Rising | 1
It’s the early 1980s and there’s peace in the wrestling business. For years regional wrestling companies have maintained order by sticking to their own slices of US and Canadian territory. But that’s all about to change. Vince McMahon has just taken over the World Wrestling Federation, and he want...
ListenTranscript
September 4, 2019

Electric Bikes | 7
Harley Davidson built its brand on big, loud and heavy bikes. So why is the company staking its future on an electric motorcycle? It turns out Harley's main demographic, baby boomers, are aging out of the motorcycle scene and the company is looking for its next target market. But will people be int...
ListenTranscript
September 2, 2019

Harley and the Biker Wars - Live to Ride | 6
By the early 1980s, Harley-Davidson is fighting to survive. Japan has glutted the American market with bikes, creating a war Harley can’t fight alone. The company turns to the U.S. government. It’s something they tried in the ‘50s with no success, but now there’s a man in the White House who loves ...
ListenTranscript
August 28, 2019

Harley and the Biker Wars - The Freedom Machine | 5
It’s 1969, and the iconic film Easy Rider stars Peter Fonda, Jack Nicholson and—most prominently—Harley choppers. It boosts the brand’s cool cred even higher with the American counterculture, much to the chagrin of the aging, conservative company owners in Milwaukee. They’ve long-hated the fact t...
ListenTranscript
August 26, 2019

Harley and the Biker Wars - Japan Takes No Prisoners | 4
It’s 1963. After battling the wave of British bikes vying for the high-dollar U.S. motorcycle market, Harley-Davidson is slammed by a tsunami of machines from Japan. Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki and—the biggest, most popular of them all—Honda.  It’s a nightmare that will force the company to the ...
ListenTranscript
August 21, 2019

Harley and the Biker Wars - Uneasy Riders | 3
By the late 1940s, World War II has ended, but Harley’s battle with a few disenfranchised veterans is just beginning. Bored and looking for kicks, these men are forming clubs based around a love of boozing, brawling and Harley Hogs. The motorcycle riots in the small town of Hollister, California br...
ListenTranscript
August 19, 2019

Harley and the Biker Wars - The Hog Is Born | 2
It’s 1903, and Harley-Davidson is entering the spanking new motorcycle market. Of the hundreds of fledgling brands, the bike to beat is Indian, and Harley has the company in its crosshairs. But a decade later, Harley is on the defensive, scrambling to distance itself from the deadly sport of board ...
ListenTranscript
August 14, 2019

Harley and the Biker Wars - The British Invaders | 1
By the late 1940s, Harley-Davidson has become America’s leading motorcycle manufacturer. The family-owned Milwaukee brand has battled hundreds of companies since its first bike rolled out of a backyard shack in 1903. Now they’re facing the birth of the outlaw bikers, disenfranchised WWII vets who l...
ListenTranscript
August 7, 2019

Business Battles | Monster vs Beats by Dre | 1
With all the hype around portable and smart speakers, it’s easy to forget that they didn’t always exist. In fact, it took one fateful meeting with Monster Cables and Interscope Records to really kick the industry off. In this one-episode Business Battle, we explore the time when headphones became f...
ListenTranscript
August 5, 2019

Cereal Wars-The Most Important Meal | 7
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Or is it? While that phrase sounds scientifically and nutritionally sound, it’s origins can be traced back to cereal company marketing departments. We conclude our series on the cereal wars with Alex Mayyasi, editor of Gastro Obscura. Alex has trace...
ListenTranscript
July 31, 2019

Cereal Wars - Going Soggy | 6
It’s the year 2000 and, for the first time in almost a century, Kellogg’s is no longer America's top cereal maker. Now a new CEO is in the driving seat, and he’s on a mission to win back the cereal crown from General Mills. But even as the two rivals slug it out for number one, they’re both facing...
ListenTranscript
July 29, 2019

Cereal Wars - Trix of the Trade | 5
It’s the 1980s and General Mills is making waves with a new cereal based on the world’s hottest video game: Pac-Man.  But Kellogg’s is hoping to cash in on a different trend: the growing clamour among adults for healthier breakfasts. So it’s plotting a taboo-busting ad campaign that will rew...
ListenTranscript
July 24, 2019

Cereal Wars - Cereal Offenders | 4
It’s the late 1950s and General Mills is playing catch-up. While Kellogg’s and Post are thriving on the back of animated characters and sugary cereals, General Mills’ cereals are looking stale. So now the Cheerios maker is on a mission to create its own roster of cartoon heroes who can charm childr...
ListenTranscript
July 22, 2019

Cereal Wars - Sugar Rush | 3
World War II is in the rearview mirror, and breakfast cereal is on the brink of a new calorific era. Post Cereals decides to break from its healthful past and start sugar coating its cereals. It’s a move that leaves Kellogg’s and General Mills in a quandary: should they follow Post’s lead or stick ...
ListenTranscript
July 17, 2019

Cereal Wars - Breakfast of Champions | 2
It’s 1904 and Quaker Oats is about to make an, ahem, explosive entry into the cold cereal business. With the Kellogg brothers at risk of being left behind, Will Kellogg finally decides it’s time to stand up to his brother. He cuts ties and brings the original corn flakes to market — aided by some s...
ListenTranscript
July 15, 2019

Cereal Wars - A Divine Mission | 1
It’s the late 1800s and America is in the grip of a bellyache epidemic. But, thanks to a divine revelation, help is on the way in the form of Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and his sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan. In his quest to calm the nation’s bowels, Dr. Kellogg is feeding his patients a new kin...
ListenTranscript
July 10, 2019

Gibson vs Fender - The Future of the Electric Guitar | 7
Ian S. Port, author of The Birth of Loud: Leo Fender, Les Paul, and the Guitar-Pioneering Rivalry That Shaped Rock 'n' Roll joins us to talk about the future of the electric guitar as music creation becomes increasingly digital. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Pr...
ListenTranscript
July 8, 2019

Gibson vs Fender - Attack of the Robot Guitars | 6
In the '90s and 2000s, new ownership has revitalized both Fender and Gibson and rekindled their rivalry. Through acquisitions, artist endorsements and their rapidly expanding custom shops, both brands are in a heated battle to win the hearts and minds of guitar lovers worldwide.   &n...
ListenTranscript
July 3, 2019

Gibson vs Fender - Back From the Brink | 5
It's the early 1980s, and for the first time in 30 years, the U.S. guitar market has gone cold. Bands are switching to synthesizers and kids are ditching their garage bands for computers and video games. A group of employees has bought the Fender brand but not its factory. Now they need to find a ...
ListenTranscript
July 1, 2019

Gibson vs Fender - Les Pauls Unleashed | 4
 In the 1960s, rock'n roll's popularity continues to grow. But one of the genre's most popular guitars, the Les Paul, is no longer being made. Now the guitar's namesake must convince an out-of-touch Gibson to put the favorite guitar of Eric Clapton and Keith Richards back into production. Mea...
ListenTranscript
June 26, 2019

Gibson vs Fender - The Stratocaster Blasts Off | 3
Gibson's Les Paul sets a new standard for the solid-body electric guitar, and rival guitar maker Fender needs to respond. The company does so in 1954 with a sleek, futuristic guitar unlike anything else on the market: the Stratocaster. It's a hit. With their higher volume and heavier tones, the Le...
ListenTranscript
June 24, 2019

Gibson vs Fender - Loud and Clear | 2
It's 1950, and Fender's first solid-body guitar, the Esquire, is the laughingstock of the music industry. To guitar makers used to elegantly made hollow-body guitars, Fender's thin, simple plank of solid wood is a joke. But its bright, powerful sound and lack of feedback make it a hit with guitar p...
ListenTranscript
June 19, 2019

Gibson vs Fender - Les and Leo | 1
In the 1930s and ’40s the market for electric guitars is growing, but it’s hindered by the instruments’ flawed designs. But a small group of mavericks is rethinking the guitar for the electronic age. One of them, guitarist Les Paul, tries unsuccessfully to convince one of America's oldest guitar c...
ListenTranscript
June 17, 2019

Anheuser-Busch vs Miller - Fighting the Crocodile | 6
It’s a new century and the beer industry is changing fast. Beyond America, new brewery empires are forming and they want to buy their way into the lucrative U.S. market. And Miller is the first to fall, bought out by a South African company that wants to pull the Milwaukee brewery out of the doldr...
ListenTranscript
June 12, 2019

Anheuser-Busch vs Miller - Surprise Attack Dog | 5
It’s the 1980s and Miller’s glory days are over. Drinkers are deserting High Life and Anheuser-Busch is about to launch a $50 million attack on Miller Lite. With the pressure mounting, Miller hunts for a way to revive its momentum. It’s a search that see the company travel to Japan, disguise itsel...
ListenTranscript
June 10, 2019

Anheuser-Busch vs Miller - Miller Killers | 4
It’s the late 1970s and Miller is hurtling towards the top of the brewing industry on the back of High Life and Lite. Anheuser-Busch’s new leader August Busch III knows he must act fast to stop the threat. But before he can do that there’s internal problems that need fixing. A strike has shut down...
ListenTranscript
June 5, 2019

Anheuser-Busch vs Miller - It’s Miller Time! | 3
Come the early 1970s, Miller has a new owner: tobacco giant Philip Morris. Armed with the Marlboro maker’s millions and marketing skills, Miller is about to shake up the beer business with a campaign targeting blue-collar workers thirsty for a cold pint...or three. But at Anheuser-Busch, a generat...
ListenTranscript
June 3, 2019

Anheuser-Busch vs Miller - Swinging for the Majors | 2
By 1933 Prohibition is over, and that means the race is on to dominate a beer market that’s been reset. Under the leadership of Anheuser-Busch heir Gussie Busch, the company is out to reclaim the beer throne. But there’s a challenger for the crown — Milwaukee’s top brewery, Schlitz. But as these t...
ListenTranscript
May 29, 2019

Anheuser-Busch vs Miller - The Beer Barons | 1
It’s 1893 and Chicago is about to host The World’s Columbian Exposition. It’s going to be the biggest show the world’s ever seen, and that means it’s time for Adolphus Busch to shine. He’s the owner of Budweiser brewery Anheuser-Busch and the most flamboyant beer baron of the Gilded Age. Busch is ...
ListenTranscript
May 27, 2019

Netflix vs Blockbuster Revisited - What’s Next for Digital Streaming | 9
On today's special interview episode, renowned media futurist Rich Greenfield returns to fill us in on the latest developments in the streaming wars and how these changes might impact viewers in the coming years. Greenfield is a media and tech analyst with BTIG who has been following the industry f...
ListenTranscript
May 22, 2019

Netflix vs Blockbuster Revisited - Streamers Everywhere | 8
It’s spring 2019, and the Mouse House is determined to challenge Netflix for streaming supremacy. Disney CEO Bob Iger draws gasps at an industry event when he announces the new Disney Plus streaming service will cost just seven bucks a month. Then the company drops another bombshell — it’s buying o...
ListenTranscript
May 20, 2019

Netflix vs Blockbuster Revisited - Break the Wheel | 7
Netflix goes from being a streaming company to a movement in which consumers all over the world decide what to watch, and when and how they watch. The future that Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph envisioned two decades earlier has arrived. The unfettered reign of cable television has ended. In 2019...
ListenTranscript
May 15, 2019

Netflix vs Blockbuster Revisited - Binge | 6
Hollywood execs thought Netflix was crazy to give up advertising and spin off opportunities by letting viewers flop on a couch and watch a whole season of a show all at once. But Netflix knew it was onto something. All of their studies and focus groups revealed something new: viewers who binged con...
ListenTranscript
May 13, 2019

Netflix vs Blockbuster Revisited - HBO Gets in the Game | 5
We take a step back to explore how a little company called Home Box Office went from serving B-movies to 325 homes in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania to become the juggernaut that we know as HBO. In the process, HBO, became the standard by which all other cable companies would have to measure themselves...
ListenTranscript
May 8, 2019

Netflix vs Blockbuster Revisited - The Digital Divide | 4
You know the expression “content is king”? Well it turns out, sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it’s a hard-working algorithm that burrows into customer habits and viewing patterns. With that, Netflix had a clear upper hand on Blockbuster. That, and the fact that Netflix targeted this new “streaming” t...
ListenTranscript
May 6, 2019

Netflix vs Blockbuster Revisited - Dirty Tricks | 3
Thinking like your enemy is the best way to beat them, and during the war, Blockbuster tried every trick in the book to get inside Netflix. Sometimes they succeeded — sending “housewives” into warehouses as spies — and sometimes things didn’t go as planned. But when Blockbuster did deliver, they de...
ListenTranscript
May 1, 2019

Netflix vs Blockbuster Revisited - Origins | 2
After Hastings pleaded with Antioco to buy Blockbuster online, Antioco agreed to present Hasting’s proposal to the board. What he didn’t tell him was that he was pushing the board to reject the offer so Netflix would wither and die. Meanwhile, Netflix was struggling to gain legitimacy in Hollywood....
ListenTranscript
April 29, 2019

Netflix vs Blockbuster Revisited - Sudden Death | 1
The way we watch is changing so rapidly that we’ve decided to revisit our very first and most popular Business War: Netflix versus Blockbuster. We’re re-airing an expanded eight-part series following Netflix’s battles against HBO and today’s new entrants into the Streaming Wars. It all started aro...
ListenTranscript
April 24, 2019

Ferrari vs. Lamborghini - The Future of Cars | 4
Electric. Diesel. Driverless. Automobile Magazine’s New York Bureau Chief, Jamie Kitman, joins to talk about the latest developments in the car industry and what’s next for Ferrari and Lamborghini. Support us by supporting our sponsors! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Cal...
ListenTranscript
April 22, 2019

Ferrari vs. Lamborghini - Supercar Speed Freaks | 3
It is 1997. For decades, Lamborghini has struggled to survive as a company, and to compete with its nemesis Ferrari. All that is about to change. Volkswagen buys Lambo and injects it with cash and bulletproof German engineering. For the first time ever, Lamborghini can finally compete with Ferrari ...
ListenTranscript
April 17, 2019

Ferrari vs. Lamborghini - Lamborghini Spawns an Icon | 2
It’s 1970. At his factory in Italy, Ferruccio Lamborghini is desperate to build a car that can outdo his rival, Enzo Ferrari, whose Ferrari factory is just 20 miles away. With the help of genius designers and engineers, Lamborghini comes up with what many car fans still today call the most outrageo...
ListenTranscript
April 15, 2019

Ferrari vs. Lamborghini - The Gauntlet | 1
It’s the early 1960s. In Maranello, Italy, Enzo Ferrari has made a name for himself building the most exotic road cars in the world. But when a dissatisfied customer named Ferruccio Lamborghini shows up to complain about his Ferrari’s busted clutch, Enzo refuses to accept blame, accusing Lamborghin...
ListenTranscript
April 10, 2019

Hasbro vs Mattel - Today's Toys | 7
Bratz. Monster High. Funko. These are the toys that rule the roost in 2019. Veteran toy industry analyst Sean McGowan joins to discuss the big business of toys today, how Hasbro and Mattel can compete, and what’s going on with Lego. You can find new episodes of Business Wars, completely ad-free, o...
ListenTranscript
April 8, 2019

Hasbro vs Mattel - Screen Dreams | 6
With the world plugging into the Internet, toys are under pressure. Kids are swapping plastic play for screen-based entertainment and both Mattel and Hasbro need to adapt. The question is: how? Mattel’s also finding out the hard way that Barbie’s reign as the queen of dolls is no longer secure. Ch...
ListenTranscript
April 3, 2019

Hasbro vs Mattel - The Shotgun Wedding | 5
A few months ago, Mattel’s revenues were just fifty million dollars behind Hasbro’s. But now that Hasbro’s swallowed Tonka—the classic maker of Nerf, Play-Doh, and Monopoly—Mattel is half a billion dollars behind, and CEO John Amerman isn’t happy about it. Ever since Hasbro turned British fashio...
ListenTranscript
April 1, 2019

Hasbro vs Mattel - Resurrection Joe | 4
It’s the early 1980s and things are not looking good for Hasbro. The company hasn’t had a hit since Hungry Hungry Hippos; its founding CEO Merrill Hassenfeld has just died; now Star Wars dolls have just about gobbled up the entire action figure market. Hasbro needs to deliver a toy capable of takin...
ListenTranscript
March 27, 2019

Hasbro vs Mattel - The House of Cards | 3
Sizzlers, Mattel’s new motorized Hot Wheels, were supposed to be the top toy this Christmas. But sales have fizzled, leaving Mattel $30 million below target. For the last ten years, Mattel’s done exceptionally well by its investors, but now the toymaker is facing a stock price collapse. To keep up ...
ListenTranscript
March 25, 2019

Hasbro vs Mattel - Boy Toy | 2
It’s the 1960s and Hasbro is struggling. The pencil manufacturer turned toymaker hasn’t had a major success since Mr. Potato Head hit the shelves in 1952, and it’s starting to lose money. If the company doesn’t act fast, it’ll be headed for bankruptcy in no time. Mattel’s “accessories sold separat...
ListenTranscript
March 20, 2019

Hasbro vs Mattel - Dream Doll | 1
It’s the late 1940s and two small toymakers are taking their first uneasy steps. The names of these young hopefuls are Hasbro and Mattel. One’s an offshoot of a pencil manufacturer. The other a husband-and-wife garage start-up. But toy-mayking, they soon discover, is an unexpectedly cutthroat busi...
ListenTranscript
February 25, 2019

USFL vs NFL - Risky Business | 7
Mike Pesca, Slate, joins to talk about the biggest risks facing the NFL, whether the Patriots are good or bad for the league, and what our culture would look like if football never took off as a professional sport in the first place. Plus, he talks about his latest book, Upon Further Review: The G...
ListenTranscript
February 20, 2019

USFL vs NFL - Football Day in Court | 6
The battle between the NFL and the USFL finally comes to a head. Donald Trump has bullied his way to the top of the USFL and pressured his league into suing the NFL for violating the Sherman Antitrust Act. But the NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle is not about to back down. If the NFL settles now, the...
ListenTranscript
February 18, 2019

USFL vs NFL - The Empire Strikes Back | 5
For nearly two full years, the mighty NFL sat idly by as the upstart USFL tried to chip away at its status, talent, and reputation as the most powerful sports league on the planet. Now, the NFL is ready to settle the score, once and for all. The league commissions a Harvard professor to prepare me...
ListenTranscript
February 13, 2019

USFL vs NFL - Making Spring Football Great Again | 4
Description: It’s 1984, and at USFL franchise offices across the country, multi-million dollar contracts are flowing like Gatorade. As the United States Football League prepares for kickoff on its second season, owners race to recruit the best college players, and steal the stars from NFL rosters. ...
ListenTranscript
February 11, 2019

USFL vs NFL - A Challenge to the King | 3
By most measures, the USFL’s debut season is a success. The games post solid numbers--in both ticket sales and television ratings--offering undeniable proof that there’s an audience for professional spring football. Still, the league is hemorrhaging money. At a post-season meeting, the twelve franc...
ListenTranscript
February 6, 2019

USFL vs NFL - A General Triumph | 2
Description: The NFL has faced rival leagues in the past, and routinely squashed them without breaking so much as a sweat. The NFL’s powerful commissioner, Pete Rozelle, assumes the USFL will be no different. He sees the rival league as a joke. A blip on the radar. But then the new league does some...
ListenTranscript
February 4, 2019

USFL vs NFL - Birth of a Spring Football League | 1
For years, David Dixon has been trying to convince the National Football League to launch an expansion team in New Orleans, but he always comes up empty-handed. Finally, after one too many letdowns, Dixon realizes his only hope for a hometown team is to start his own football league. Unlike the NFL...
ListenTranscript
January 28, 2019

McDonald’s vs Burger King - Breakfast Wars | 7
Egg McMuffins, Croissan’wiches and coffee. Today’s fast food fight is all about breakfast time. Wall Street Journal reporter Julie Jargon joins to talk about where Burger King and McDonald’s are headed, the rise of eating at home, and how fast-casual chains are taking a bite out of the market. ...
ListenTranscript
January 23, 2019

McDonald’s vs Burger King - Super Fan Supernova | 6
It’s a new century and times are tough for the burger giants. Burger King’s in a rut and McDonald’s is about to report its first loss in nearly 40 years. Both brands need to reinvent themselves fast. But can they come up with strategies robust enough to shake off the coming economic crisis? Sup...
ListenTranscript
January 21, 2019

McDonald's vs Burger King - Battle of the Burgers | 5
Burger King is under pressure. McDonald’s is wowing the nation with a new way to eat chicken and Wendy’s is quickly closing in on the number two fast food spot. Backed into a corner, Burger King prepares to bite back with an ad campaign attacking its rivals directly. The heat is on and the burger ...
ListenTranscript
January 16, 2019

McDonald’s vs Burger King - Have It Your Way | 4
It’s the 1970s, and the burger barons are turning to TV advertising to propel profits skyward. McDonald’s is betting that a little song and dance can give it the competitive edge, but Burger King is stepping up their ads as well: debuting a killer new slogan that’s sure to set it on a collision cou...
ListenTranscript
January 14, 2019

McDonald’s vs Burger King - Feeding Frenzy | 3
By the mid-1960s, Americans have developed a taste for fast, delicious, affordable food — and they’re demanding more. U.S. fast food franchises — McDonald’s, Burger King and Burger Chef — know that if they want to feed America and win the burger wars, they’re going to have to grow. But Wall Street...
ListenTranscript
January 9, 2019

McDonald’s vs Burger King - Cooking with Gas | 2
It’s the late 1950s and fry cooks are flipping as fast as they can. But McDonald’s and Insta-Burger King’s desire for national success far outstrips their ability to deliver. It’s not enough to just make a better burger: bad contracts, bad equipment, limited capital and investors who don’t believe ...
ListenTranscript
January 7, 2019

McDonald’s vs Burger King - Fastest Burger in the West | 1
It’s 1948, and somewhere around the edge of the Mojave Desert, a drive-in restaurant is making waves. It's called McDonald’s and it’s like no burger joint anyone’s seen before—a carhop-free eatery with lightning fast service, and shockingly low prices. But McDonald’s proprietors aren’t dreaming as...
ListenTranscript
December 20, 2018

Zankou Chicken Murders - The Death of an American Dream | 2
Mardiros Iskenderian was known for two things: the unbelievable generosity he showed to the Armenian community, and the deep love he expressed for his family—particularly for his mother, whom he treated like a queen. So why did Mardiros try to cut his sisters out of the family business? What drove...
ListenTranscript
December 18, 2018

Zankou Chicken Murders - Out of Beirut | 1
It’s January 14th, 2003, and 56-year-old Mardiros Iskenderian, the founder of the family-owned chain of rotisserie restaurants Zankou Chicken, is leaving the house for the first time in months. Twenty years ago, the Iskenderians transplanted their business from war-torn Beirut to sunny Los Angeles...
ListenTranscript
December 13, 2018

Browser Wars - Even When They Lose They Win | 6
Microsoft has officially won the battle against Netscape, but for Bill Gates, the browser war is far from over. The federal government has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft, and called Gates to Washington, D.C. for questioning. Hotshot prosecutor David Boies aims to show that Microsoft ...
ListenTranscript
December 11, 2018

Browser Wars - Microsoft on the Hot Seat | 5
To compete with Netscape, Bill Gates is forced to do the one thing he hates most: give tech away for free. He bundles Internet Explorer with Windows, effectively making his browser ubiquitous--and Netscape’s redundant. Suddenly, Netscape, the company that launched the dot-com boom and shattered rec...
ListenTranscript
December 6, 2018

Browser Wars - An Offer They Can’t Refuse | 4
It’s summer 1995, and Bill Gates is worried about the sudden rise of the Internet. In the world of computers, Gates is used to being in the driver’s seat. Now it seems he’s not even in the car.  Marc Andreessen has just launched the latest version of Netscape Navigator. It’s faster and more stabl...
ListenTranscript
December 4, 2018

Browser Wars - Poker Face | 3
It’s 1974, and a young programmer named Paul Allen has just caught a glimpse of the world’s first personal computer, the Altair 8800. It has the potential to change the computing landscape forever — but it doesn’t yet have an operating system. Altair’s developers sank every dollar they had into its...
ListenTranscript
November 29, 2018

Browser Wars - The Birth of a Dot Com Giant | 2
Two disgruntled tech whizzes, Jim Clark and Marc Andreessen, join forces to exact revenge on the companies that wronged them, building a browser so fast and powerful that it wipes their competitors off the face of the web. In private, they call it a “Mosaic Killer,” but in public, it’s called “Nets...
ListenTranscript
November 27, 2018

Browser Wars - Kickstarting a Revolution | 1
It’s 1992, and in the basement of the chemistry building at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, two computer science students are working on a new web browser. Up to this point, browsing has made up less than one percent of all internet traffic, but Marc Andreessen and Eric Bina are abo...
ListenTranscript
November 20, 2018

Red Bull vs Monster - Buzzkill | 3
As the extreme marketing battle between Red Bull and Monster reaches unprecedented heights (128,000 feet above sea level, to be precise), a new challenger steps onto the scene. 5-hour Energy, the tiny titan in the two ounce can, quickly plows through the energy drink market, generating hundreds of ...
ListenTranscript
November 15, 2018

Red Bull vs Monster - Beast Gores Bull | 2
As Red Bull plans its U.S. invasion, an unlikely upstart vies to beat it to market. Led by branding guru Mark Hall, the wholesome Hansen Beverage Company launches Monster, a grungy, all-American alternative to its yuppie European competitor. Not only does Hall intend to pull Hansen back from the ve...
ListenTranscript
November 13, 2018

Red Bull vs Monster - Get Your Wings | 1
It’s the early 1980s, and in Bangkok, Thailand, a jet-lagged toothpaste marketing exec named Dietrich Mateschitz has just tasted Krating Daeng, an energy tonic popular with rickshaw drivers. The flavor is repellant—it’s sickly sweet—but to Mateschitz’s surprise, it completely cures his jetlag. Sudd...
ListenTranscript
November 8, 2018

Napster vs The Record Labels - Interview with Mikael Wood | 7
Host David Brown sits down with L.A. Times pop music critic Mikael Wood to talk about how Napster changed not only the music business, but music itself. It turns out digital music downloads paved the way for a lot of trends we see in music today… Justin Bieber joining the remix of Despacito? Beyonc...
ListenTranscript
November 6, 2018

Napster vs The Record Labels - Fight to the Death | 6
Napster is approaching its death throes. The file sharing company has one shot left: Bertelsmann, the record label that’s confident it has come up with a foolproof plan to profit from its former foe. But Bertelsmann forgot about one thing. It needs the buy-in of other labels to make its rescue plan...
ListenTranscript
November 1, 2018

Napster vs The Record Labels - A Fatal Email | 5
Some of the biggest names in music have gathered to duke it out over the future of Napster. The Senate Judiciary Committee’s intellectual property hearing finally brings the pioneers of the peer-to-peer revolution face to face with the record labels. Napster is feeling good about its chances. But t...
ListenTranscript
October 30, 2018

Napster vs The Record Labels - Battle of the Bands | 4
As the game of cat and mouse heats up with the record labels. The labels know that unless Napster is stopped, it’ll destroy the record labels. That doesn’t stop Napster co-founder Sean Parker from feeling the vice grips closing in. By early 2000, Napster has 10 million users and a landmark copyrigh...
ListenTranscript
October 25, 2018

Napster vs The Record Labels - Free is Costly | 3
Napster co-founders Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker finally get to Silicon Valley, where their dream for music sharing is supposed to take off.  When word gets out about what Napster is doing, software programmers are literally banging on the doors, begging to work for Napster for free. The...
ListenTranscript
October 23, 2018

Napster vs The Record Labels - Silicon Valley or Bust | 2
Naysayers tell Shawn Fanning that only an experienced Silicon Valley software engineer solve all the technological challenges to get Napster working.  But Shawn thinks he’s got the answers and asks himself, ‘’why not me?” And he gets to work, turning to an online chat group of hackers who ar...
ListenTranscript
October 18, 2018

Napster vs The Record Labels - The Beginning of the End | 1
It’s 2000, and the record industry is just waking up to a major threat to its business model: an online file-sharing system created by a 17-year-old kid from Massachusetts. With Napster — so called after the nickname its founder earned on the basketball court — users can download music for free. Wh...
ListenTranscript
October 16, 2018

Xbox vs Playstation - Interview with Tristan Donovan | 4
Host David Brown sits down with Tristan Donovan, series writer and author of Replay: The History of Video Games , just as this console war enters uncharted territory. What’s next for Xbox, PlayStation and wild card Nintendo Switch? Hint: probably not three more generations of consoles. Plus, what ...
ListenTranscript
October 11, 2018

Xbox vs Playstation - Tear Down This Wall | 3
As Nintendo burns with the failure of Wii U, Sony can’t woo PS2 users to the new Playstation 3. It vows to not make that mistake again, and the Playstation 4 prioritizes on what the gamers want: a better gaming experience. But it’s not just the focus on gaming that makes the PS4 a hit - it’s also t...
ListenTranscript
October 9, 2018

Xbox vs Playstation - The Red Ring of Death | 2
Microsoft put all its efforts into it’s new console, the Xbox 360 to beat combat Sony’s market share and it looked like it was working. Thousands of consoles sold, and then suddenly, mysteriously, thousands of consoles died. Meanwhile Sony announces their new PlayStation will cost more than any con...
ListenTranscript
October 4, 2018

Xbox vs Playstation - The Biggest Cannon in the World | 1
Sony was preparing Playstation to eventually replace personal computers. Microsoft sees that coming and goes into combat mode. Bill Gates spends more than two billion dollars to launch Microsoft’s Xbox console with innards that Gates hopes will not only put Sony on the defensive but will ...
ListenTranscript
October 2, 2018

Southwest vs American - Interview with Joseph Guinto | 7
Host David Brown chats with freelance journalist and series writer Joseph Guinto about the 22 years he’s spent covering Southwest Airlines… including his memories meeting and interviewing Southwest’s major players, from Rollin King to Herb Kelleher himself. Plus, the famous part of Southwest’s hist...
ListenTranscript
September 27, 2018

Southwest vs American - Free LUV | 6
Thanks to deregulation, no-frills knock offs of Southwest take to the skies like crows. About 120 airlines have gone out of business or filed for bankruptcy since the industry was deregulated in 1978. American’s SABRE system optimizes...everything. It manages ticket pricing so flights are alw...
ListenTranscript
September 25, 2018

Southwest vs American - The Cult of Herb | 5
Everyone loves Herb Kelleher—even FAA regulators. The onetime corporate counsel-turned-CEO is coming into his own at the helm of Southwest. But his latest challenge is coming up with a way to skirt the FAA’s pesky “slot” system, designed to limit air traffic by rationing takeoffs and landings. Kell...
ListenTranscript
September 20, 2018

Southwest vs American - The Darling of Deregulation | 4
As deregulation dawns, Southwest Airlines’ founder and CEO are locked in a power struggle. In the middle is Herb Kelleher, Southwest’s corporate attorney. And after 18 months serving as a punching bag for the company’s top brass, he’s had enough. But as Southwest deals with a succession crisis, Am...
ListenTranscript
September 18, 2018

Southwest vs American - Aviation Cyber Wars | 3
The computer age is on the horizon, and American Airlines has a secret weapon: SABRE. Sure, the airline is top of the heap under the current pen-and-paper reservation system — the one where travel agents use a massive phonebook to look up flights, then call individual airlines to book a ticket. But...
ListenTranscript
September 13, 2018

Southwest vs American - Dogfight Over Dallas | 2
Baniff and Southwest battled in court for domination over the skies. Southwest came out on top for a little while, but Baniff pushed back with prices Southwest just couldn't beat. The only way Southwest could fight back was to give the mostly male, mostly businessmen clientele something they couldn...
ListenTranscript
September 11, 2018

Southwest vs. American - Clearing the Runway | 1
In Texas in the 1960s, Rollin King had a crazy idea. He wanted to create a no-frills airline service that served San Antonio, Dallas and Houston. All he and his lawyer had to do was convince the Federal Regulations Bureau that they had no jurisdiction on flights that never left Texas. Of course get...
ListenTranscript
September 6, 2018

Coke vs Pepsi - Interview with Tristan Donovan | 7
Host David Brown chats with series writer Tristan Donovan, author of Fizz: How Soda Shook Up the World , about some of the juicy tidbits that didn’t make the final series. Like Fanta’s roots in Nazi Germany, Pepsi’s frantic struggle to make sure Coca-Cola didn’t beat it into space, and why Coca-Co...
ListenTranscript
September 4, 2018

Coke vs Pepsi - The Soda Revolt | 6
Coke continues to grapple with Pepsi’s winning ads, but as Y2K nears both companies realize this isn’t just a cola war anymore. There’s more backlash for both companies, this time from schools. Coke and Pepsi are now seen as allies in America’s obesity. Both companies consider this but choose drast...
ListenTranscript
August 30, 2018

Coke vs Pepsi - No Sacred Cows | 5
With the Pepsi Challenge under attack by Coke, Pepsi needs a new ad campaign. So the company turns for inspiration to the biggest pop star in the world: Michael Jackson. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola has a new chief executive who’s convinced tinkering with Coca-Cola’s prized formula is the key to winning th...
ListenTranscript
August 28, 2018

Coke vs Pepsi - The Imitator's Revenge | 4
Welcome to the Pepsi Generation. As Pepsi fires up a hot new ad campaign, Coca-Cola starts getting nervous. But a sudden plane detour through Ireland gives Coke executive Bill Backer inspiration for one of the most iconic ads of the 20th century. It seems Coke is on top once again—but Pepsi has ano...
ListenTranscript
August 23, 2018

Coke vs Pepsi - Cola über Alles | 3
With world war on the horizon, Coca-Cola and Pepsi face a supply crisis. How to get enough sugar to continue bottling their sweet fizzy goodness? One man has the answer -- to secure its supply line, Coke must sell itself as the all-American cola. For GIs and liberated citizens the world over, Coca-...
ListenTranscript
August 21, 2018

Coke vs Pepsi - Candy Monster | 2
The cola cops are coming. Pepsi, an upstart Coca-Cola imitator, grabs its rival’s attention by serving up its own beverage to unsuspecting soda fountain customers. Coca-Cola moves fast -- but it’s not enough to stop Charles Guth, Pepsi-Cola’s new owner and the head of Loft Candy. He stays one step ...
ListenTranscript
August 16, 2018

Coke vs Pepsi - Cocaine is King | 1
In turn of the century Atlanta, pharmacist John Pemberton has invented a dynamite health tonic with some secret ingredients his customers can’t get enough of. There’s only one problem. With the city about to go dry, the temperance authorities are coming for him. Pemberton needs to cook up a new rec...
ListenTranscript
August 14, 2018

eBay vs PayPal - Interview with Kara Swisher | 7
We hope you enjoyed our series on eBay vs PayPal. Here to discuss her thoughts on the PayPal mafia alums is Kara Swisher. Swisher is the self-described "grumpy lady of tech" and host of the podcast Recode Decode . She's known for her tough takes on Silicon Valley, is Silicon Valley royalty, and ev...
ListenTranscript
August 9, 2018

eBay vs PayPal - Outta the Gate | 6
PayPal is running out of time. The online payment service is hauling in new users, but its bottom line is bleeding red. Without a buyer to pump it full of cash soon, the company could go under. Should it take the safe route and sell out to its longtime nemesis eBay? Or should it risk the open marke...
ListenTranscript
August 7, 2018

eBay vs PayPal - Breaking Up Is Hard To Do | 5
By late 2000, PayPal and X.com are yoked together, with X.com CEO Elon Musk leading the newly combined company. But it’s a rocky marriage: PayPal’s founders clash with their new leader over everything from his imperious management style to his choice of server platforms. Finally the PayPal loyalist...
ListenTranscript
August 2, 2018

eBay vs PayPal - How Bad Is It? | 4
Remember the summer of 2000? The Olympics were in full swing and PayPal was under attack. Not from eBay, but Russian hackers. In looking for soft targets in the early days of the untethered Internet, PayPal was the fattest cow. On top of that, there are competitors, and they’re catching on fast. Be...
ListenTranscript
July 31, 2018

eBay vs PayPal - PayPal Goes Viral | 3
In the midst of the dot-com boom, there's also a lot of dot-com bust. PayPal desperately needed to grow but they companies who'd raised millions more suddenly disintegrate. The solution was so simple it seemed almost illegal - let the converted proselytize. And they do to incredible results. It doe...
ListenTranscript
July 26, 2018

eBay vs PayPal - The E-commerce Revolution | 2
As eBay gathers steam, a libertarian chess champion and a programmer who fled Communist Ukraine team up to change the world with their encryption software. But when their plan to piggyback on the ubiquitous Palm Pilot hits a snag, they stumble upon a new idea. The concept is so revolutionary, it wi...
ListenTranscript
July 24, 2018

eBay vs PayPal - Going Once, Going Twice | 1
At the dawn of the dotcom era, a Silicon Valley tech geek on a personal vendetta rolls out the world’s first e-commerce site. Vintage lunchboxes? Second-hand guitars? B-list celebrity autographs? It all finds a home on AuctionWeb, and before long the site’s growth is skyrocketing. But founder Pier...
ListenTranscript
June 28, 2018

Hearst vs Pulitzer - Interview with Gabriel Kahn | 7
Joining us today is Gabriel Kahn, a professor of journalism at the University of Southern California. He’s a former Los Angeles bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal and a frequent commentator on monetization and the media. He’s also taught courses on the history of journalism. He recently wrot...
ListenTranscript
June 26, 2018

Hearst vs Pulitzer - Days of Atonement | 6
By 1900, the days of yellow journalism were already fading, and both William Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer were searching for a new direction even as their newspapers diverged. Hearst tries for a political career, but finds himself defeated and dragging back to a lagging paper by the end of the decad...
ListenTranscript
June 21, 2018

Hearst vs Pulitzer - Newsies | 5
A close up look at a crisis of their own making. One that nearly cost Hearst and Pulitzer their grip on the country’s first media empires. Instead of pitting them against each other, the crisis would see the two media moguls finding rare common ground. At the turn of the century, newspapers flew o...
ListenTranscript
June 19, 2018

Hearst vs Pulitzer - War Drums | 4
What happens when there’s no news? You have to MAKE the news. When Hearst heard from his top reporter that the Spanish-Cuban tension wasn’t looking like anything would happen, Hearst wasn’t just going to wait around for an explosion. He already bought and assembled a collection of powder kegs. It...
ListenTranscript
June 14, 2018

Hearst vs Pulitzer - The Price of News | 3
In 1883, 15 years before the Headless Torso Murder, New York City's population was rapidly growing and the newspaper scene was pretty sleepy. The city's nearly 50 daily papers, even the small New York Times, was a pretty sedate bunch, informing citizens about zoning board decisions and weather tren...
ListenTranscript
June 12, 2018

Hearst vs Pulitzer - The Headless Torso, Part 2 | 2
In 1897, America looked very different. Carriages rolled through the streets of New York. Mass media was just growing up, and Hearst was convinced that carrier pigeons - hunted to extinction by 1914 - were what would give his paper the edge during the early days of the Headless Torso case. This ca...
ListenTranscript
June 7, 2018

Hearst vs Pulitzer - The Headless Torso, Part 1 | 1
This is the beginning of a mystery, a great business rivalry, and a look into American history. To tell the story of Hearst vs Pulitzer, we called our friend Lindsay Graham over at American History Tellers for help. The Headless Torso mystery is about a jilted husband, a German midwife, a musclema...
ListenTranscript
May 10, 2018

Gregor Mendel vs the World - American Innovations | 1
Host David Brown interviews Steven Johnson, the host of the new podcast American Innovations . Support us by supporting our sponsors! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
ListenTranscript
May 8, 2018

The First Computer War - Computing Gets Personal | 6
After all that IBM has been through over the decades, it would have never in a million years guessed that their undoing would be at the hands of a scrawny and unknown computer nerd named Bill Gates. Gates sees the future, but can IBM catch up? Will they still be on top 50 years from now? Only time ...
ListenTranscript
May 3, 2018

The First Computer War - Betting the Store | 5
It’s 1961. Since his father retired 5 years earlier, Thomas Watson Jr pushed to modernize IBM from the top down. New management, new ideas, newer, faster, machines. The company has grown, employing 1,000 people, they’ve dominated the emerging computer market... and managed to frustrate the public a...
ListenTranscript
May 1, 2018

The First Computer War - Abdication | 4
In Episode 1 the UNIVAC successfully predicted that Eisenhower would win the 1952 election. In Philadelphia, a champagne hangover quickly settled in over the Remington Rand building, the company elated at its success. But over at IBM, a company that doesn't allow its employees to drink, they’re wor...
ListenTranscript
April 26, 2018

The First Computer War - IBM versus The UNIVAC | 3
What’s a 16% market share when the public thinks you have more? A potential anti-trust suit, if you’re IBM. Watson Jr. sees a potential lawsuit as a way out from under his father’s control. Sr. sees his company rotting away in the hands of a kid who can’t handle it. But when the antitrust suit come...
ListenTranscript
April 24, 2018

The First Computer War - Father, Son, and The Future | 2
How do you really “get ahead” in a war? Sometimes you don’t have to do anything, you just wait for your opponent to fumble. And in the late 1940s, IBM’s CEO Thomas Watson Sr., did. He’s just beginning to grasp the potential of these electronic machines, and - although older than most other CEOs is...
ListenTranscript
April 19, 2018

The First Computer War - The Electronic Brain | 1
With so much information at our fingertips, it’s hard to remember that we haven’t always walked around with supercomputers in our pockets. In fact, in 1952, CBS thought that Americans would find it SO hard to imagine that a machine could even predict election results accurately that they built...
ListenTranscript
April 12, 2018

Marvel vs DC - Interview with Jason Mewes and Reed Tucker | 7
What's that? Up in the sky? It's another episode of Business Wars. Today we're talking to two super guests, Reed Tucker is a journalist living in New York City, and the author of the book Slugfest: Inside the Epic 50-Year Battle Between Marvel and DC and! Reed is the author of the Marvel/DC e...
ListenTranscript
April 10, 2018

Marvel vs DC - The Cinematic Universe | 6
After more than 50 years of fighting for the hearts and attention spans of millions of readers, television viewers, and movie-goers - who wins this war? Is it DC, the original comic company company behind classic American heroes that defined the dreams of many young men and women? Or is it Marvel, ...
ListenTranscript
April 5, 2018

Marvel vs DC - Big Screen Heroes | 5
Appearances on radio programs, television shows and thousands of comic books - all just another day in the life of a superhero. But to get a larger than life hero onto a larger than life screen, there’s one secret ingredient: verisimilitude. As both companies fight for box office domination, a powe...
ListenTranscript
April 3, 2018

Marvel vs DC - Schemes, Scans, and Double Crosses | 4
It’s 1970 and the unthinkable just happened. Jack Kirby, one of the men who made Marvel, has defected to DC. With him he brought an idea that may just end Marvel for good. But as soon as DC seems to be pulling back into the lead, something else goes wrong - there’s a spy in their midst. Support...
ListenTranscript
March 29, 2018

Marvel vs DC - Copycat | 3
As Marvel’s richer storylines captivate more readers, DC just can’t keep up, or fully understand Marvel’s success. They even try directly copying Marvel’s style, but go about it in the worst way. Just when it looks like DC’s days at the top are numbered, they throw one final Hail Mary that steals a...
ListenTranscript
March 27, 2018

Marvel vs DC - The Fantastic Mr. Lee | 2
We’ve talked about several wars on this series, but here’s a first: DC and Marvel engaging with each other, sniping, making fun, and getting their fans involved in the argument. A series of editor’s letters, guest columns, and fan mail printed in the comics themselves has everyone choosing sides. ...
ListenTranscript
March 21, 2018

Marvel vs DC - Origin Stories | 1
In the early 1960s, the Space Race was on, Chubby Checkers got everyone doin’ the twist and Superman was turning 25. DC has it all - a legacy comic, the talented writers and illustrators, and plush offices in Manhattan. Marvel is around but it’s much smaller. They only have one full time employee, ...
ListenTranscript
March 20, 2018

Nike vs Adidas - Interview with Liz Dolan and David Meltzer | 7
Today we talked to Liz Dolan, former Nike CMO, and David Meltzer, sports marketing guru and agent about this vicious war. If you loved them here, you’ll love their podcasts even more. Liz co-hosts Safe For Work , a show that answers your burning business questions and provides the advice you need...
ListenTranscript
March 15, 2018

Nike vs Adidas - The Defectors | 6
The rivalry between Nike and Adidas has been intense for decades, but always respectful. But with intensity comes… defectors. Just three at the beginning, who set out to create a “Disneyland for designers.” And it worked. For the first time in a long time, the Swoosh was outperformed by three littl...
ListenTranscript
March 13, 2018

Nike vs Adidas - Rebound | 5
Nike, the late starter struck gold with its “Just Do It” campaign. Launched in 1988, the shoe giant finally had a tagline as good as its shoes. Meanwhile, Adidas, the brand that started and found success long before Nike was even a dream, finds itself as the underdog. The American offices feel like...
ListenTranscript
March 8, 2018

Nike vs Adidas - Nike Air | 4
Every new Nike employee gets a list of principles that serves as the company’s philosophy. One: Our business is change. Two: We’re on offense, all the time. With those principles Nike sprinted from $29 million in revenue in 1973 to more than $850 million by 1983. But the biggest ...
ListenTranscript
March 6, 2018

Nike vs Adidas - Walking Billboards | 3
As long as there have been professional sports, there have been professional athletes, willing to accept money to wear certain brands, but the biggest endorsement deals were only made possible by a mid-20th century invention: the television. Fans realized they could tune in to see their favorite at...
ListenTranscript
March 1, 2018

Nike vs Adidas - The Starting Line | 2
Rudi and Adi Dassler started the “Dassler Business” in the 1920s in their parent’s garage, recycling materials from WWI military gear and uniforms. They got a pair of their track spikes on an athlete named Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics and the company took off… until WWII. The war may have...
ListenTranscript
February 27, 2018

Nike vs Adidas - Sneakerheads | 1
In 2015, Kanye West turned his back on Nike, an all out battle in the ongoing war for sneaker supremacy. Nike and Adidas are two multinational companies worth billions in an industry estimated to be valued at $220 Billion by 2020 (which is double the GDP of Ukraine) but that begs the question - Why...
ListenTranscript
February 22, 2018

Netflix vs Blockbuster - Interview with Rich Greenfield | 8
Rich Greenfield is a tech and media analyst with BTIG who’s been covering this battle in some capacity for decades. We had the chance to talk to him in depth on today’s episode. Follow Rich on Twitter @RichBTIG Support us by supporting our sponsors! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pr...
ListenTranscript
February 20, 2018

Netflix vs Blockbuster - The Way We Watch | 7
Netflix goes from being a streaming company to a movement in which consumers all over the world decide what show to watch -- and when and how they watch them. The future that Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph envisioned two decades earlier has arrived. The unfettered reign of cable television has end...
ListenTranscript
February 15, 2018

Netflix vs Blockbuster - Binge | 6
Hollywood execs thought Netflix was crazy to give up advertising and spin off opportunities by letting viewers flop on a couch and watch a whole season of a show all at once. But Netflix knew it was on to something. All of their studies and focus groups revealed something new: viewers who binged co...
ListenTranscript
February 13, 2018

Netflix vs Blockbuster - HBO Gets In The Ring | 5
We take a step back to explore how a little company called Home Box Office went from serving B-movies to 325 homes in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania to become the juggernaut that we know as HBO. In the process, HBO, become the standard by which all other cable companies would have to measure themselves...
ListenTranscript
February 8, 2018

Netflix vs Blockbuster - The Digital Divide | 4
You know that expression “content is king”? Well it turns out, sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it’s a hard-working algorithm that burrows into customer habits and viewing patterns. With that, Netflix had a clear upper hand on Blockbuster. That, and the fact that Netflix targeted this new “streaming”...
ListenTranscript
February 6, 2018

Netflix vs Blockbuster - Dirty Tricks | 3
Thinking like your enemy is the best way to beat them, and during the war, Blockbuster tried every trick in the books to get inside Netflix. Sometimes they succeeded - sending “housewives” into warehouses as spies, and sometimes things didn’t go as planned. But when Blockbuster did deliver, they de...
ListenTranscript
February 6, 2018

Netflix vs Blockbuster - Origins | 2
After Hastings pleaded with Antioco to buy Blockbuster Online, Antioco agreed to present Hasting’s proposal to the board. What he didn’t tell him was that he was pushing the board to reject the offer so Netflix would wither and die. Meanwhile, Netflix was struggling to gain legitimacy in Hollywood....
ListenTranscript
February 6, 2018

Netflix vs Blockbuster - Sudden Death | 1
This is Episode 1 of an 8-part series on the brutal business battle between Netflix and Blockbuster, and later HBO. It all started around 1997, with a guy named Marc Randolph and his mathematician friend Reed Hastings. Randolph and Hastings knew they’d have to take on Blockbuster, but what they di...
ListenTranscript
January 19, 2018

Introducing: Business Wars
Netflix-HBO. Nike-Adidas. Business is war. Sometimes the prize is your wallet. Sometimes your attention. Sometimes just the fun of beating the other guy. From Wondery, the network behind Dirty John and American History Tellers. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Priva...
ListenTranscript