TV Wars: Exclusive Content And Platform Competition

While technological developments have relaxed transmission bot-tlenecks in television broadcasting, regulatory attention has shifted to control over content, especially premium programming such as popular sports and Hollywood movies. This paper examines incen-tives for exclusive distribution of premium content in pay TV. Static competition analysis shows that a broadcaster with premium content always chooses to supply its rival, using per-subscriber fees to soften retail competition. Incorporating platform competition, exclusive con-tent gives its holder an initial advantage that is ampli\u85ed by dynami