Podcast · 246 episodes
Business Wars
by Audible · English
Netflix vs. HBO. Nike vs. Adidas. Business is war. Sometimes the prize is your wallet or your attention. Sometimes, it’s just the fun of beating the other guy. The outcome of these battles shapes what we buy and how we live. Business Wars gives you the unauthorized, real story of what drives these companies and their leaders, innovators, investors and executives to new heights -- or to ruin. Hosted by David Brown, former anchor of Marketplace. From Wondery, the network behind Against the Odds and American History Tellers. Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Business Wars ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.
Latest episodes
FanDuel vs DraftKings | Open The Gates | 2How PASPA’s 2018 Supreme Court ruling opened state-by-state legal sports betting, letting FanDuel and DraftKings expand from daily fantasy into mobile sportsbooks—then how competition from casinos,…30 Sep 2026 · 52 min
Listen Now: My Mom’s MurderHost Lauren Lee Malloy investigates her mother Lori Lee Malloy’s death, long claimed to be natural causes (heart disease/hypertrophic cardiomyopathy), after learning from a woman that Lori was…28 Sep 2026 · 5 min
FanDuel vs DraftKings | The Enemy of My Enemy | 1The rise of daily fantasy sports as a legal workaround, the FanDuel vs DraftKings rivalry, and how antitrust and gambling-related scrutiny killed their 2016 merger.23 Sep 2026 · 47 min
All episodes
FanDuel vs DraftKings | Open The Gates | 2How PASPA’s 2018 Supreme Court ruling opened state-by-state legal sports betting, letting FanDuel and DraftKings expand from daily fantasy into mobile sportsbooks—then how competition from casinos,…30 Sep 2026 · 52 min · 24 chapters
Listen Now: My Mom’s MurderHost Lauren Lee Malloy investigates her mother Lori Lee Malloy’s death, long claimed to be natural causes (heart disease/hypertrophic cardiomyopathy), after learning from a woman that Lori was…28 Sep 2026 · 5 min · 3 chapters
FanDuel vs DraftKings | The Enemy of My Enemy | 1The rise of daily fantasy sports as a legal workaround, the FanDuel vs DraftKings rivalry, and how antitrust and gambling-related scrutiny killed their 2016 merger.23 Sep 2026 · 47 min · 16 chapters
Roomba: Hitting the Wall | The New Space Race | 3The episode “Roomba: Hitting the Wall | The New Space Race | 3” argues that iRobot’s December 2025 bankruptcy (parent company of Roomba) reflects broader U.S.17 Sep 2026 · 36 min · 12 chapters
Roomba: Hitting the Wall | The Moat | 2iRobot’s Roomba dominance erodes as patents, litigation, and “smart home” data strategies face cheaper Chinese mop-vac combo robots, new competitors (Shark Ninja, Hoover, Bissell), and later macro…16 Sep 2026 · 48 min · 19 chapters
Roomba: Hitting the Wall | Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control | 1How iRobot’s “bug-brained” robotics philosophy produced Roomba, then nearly collapsed under competition, funding swings, and consumer misreads—before later success and eventual strategic decline.9 Sep 2026 · 48 min · 16 chapters
The Sweetener Wars | Sweet Goes Sour | 2The “sweetener wars” from 1988–2010s: internal fraud at Cumberland Packing (Sweet’ n Low), legal battles over brand packaging and false advertising, Monsanto’s aspartame patent cliff, and Splenda’s…2 Sep 2026 · 44 min · 19 chapters
The Sweetener Wars | Attack of the Cancer Rats | 1The “Sweetener Wars” traces how artificial sweeteners (cyclamates, saccharin, then aspartame) are regulated, marketed, and fought over—starting with bans under the Delaney Amendment and culminating…26 Aug 2026 · 46 min · 17 chapters
Listen Now: Audible True CrimeThe episode examines self-help guru James Arthur Ray and the Harmonic Wealth Weekend and later Spiritual Warrior retreat, focusing on how his “law of attraction” teachings and high-pressure methods…24 Aug 2026 · 6 min · 4 chapters
Warby Parker vs Luxottica | A Modern Lens | 3Warby Parker’s rise as a direct-to-consumer disruptor to Luxottica’s eyewear dominance, and how Warby evolved into a more conventional brick-and-mortar, tech-and-brand business by 2026.20 Aug 2026 · 39 min · 8 chapters
Warby Parker vs Luxottica | Getting Vertical | 2Warby Parker’s shift from online-only to omnichannel (pop-ups, mobile store, then stores) as it tries to compete with Luxottica/Essilor’s vertical integration; later, the industry’s smart-glasses…19 Aug 2026 · 43 min · 17 chapters
Warby Parker vs Luxottica | The Empire of Eyes | 1Episode 1 (“The Empire of Eyes”) of Business Wars explains how Luxottica (now EssilorLuxottica) became dominant in eyewear and sets up Warby Parker as its challenger.12 Aug 2026 · 40 min · 13 chapters
GoPro: The Billion Dollar Wipeout | Crash Landing | 2GoPro’s rise and “crash landing” after its IPO—smartphone competition, failed pivots into media and drones, product missteps (Hero 4 Session), and eventual refocus on core cameras.5 Aug 2026 · 39 min · 12 chapters
GoPro: The Billion Dollar Wipeout | Think it. See It. Do it. Boom. | 1GoPro’s rise and collapse, from Nick Woodman’s first waterproof camera strap to the 2016 earnings wipeout and the company’s attempt to pivot from hardware to media.29 Jul 2026 · 44 min · 14 chapters
Universal vs Disney: The Battle for Orlando | Epic Rivalry | 4Universal vs. Disney theme-park rivalry in Orlando and beyond, focusing on how Universal gained ground via Wizarding World of Harry Potter (2010) and how Disney countered with Star Wars: Galaxy’s…23 Jul 2026 · 44 min · 21 chapters
Universal vs. Disney: The Battle for Orlando | An IP for an IP | 3Universal vs. Disney in Orlando, arguing that “IP for an IP” (Universal’s Harry Potter; Disney’s Star Wars and later tech/parks) drives attendance, profits, and long-term control of guest spending.22 Jul 2026 · 48 min · 16 chapters
Listen Now: AI A New Kind of BeingA limited-series episode from This Is Actually Happening about how AI changes people’s lives, focusing on one man’s relationship with a Replica chatbot that evolves into a romantic bond and raises…21 Jul 2026 · 6 min · 2 chapters
Universal vs. Disney: The Battle for Orlando | The Park That Lived | 2Universal vs. Disney’s Orlando theme-park battle, focusing on Universal’s early-1990s recovery, its attempt to build a “second destination” (Project X/Islands of Adventure), and its later push to…15 Jul 2026 · 48 min · 13 chapters
Listen Now: Dan Taberski’s ManifestoDan Taberski’s six-part series about manifestos—how they channel rage into action, their power and danger, and whether people can get inspired without violence.13 Jul 2026 · 8 min · 3 chapters
Universal vs. Disney: The Battle for Orlando | A Kingdom Invaded | 1The 1980s-early 1990s rivalry between Universal and Disney over Orlando theme-park dominance, sparked by a confidential Universal Studios Florida pitch and later intensified by Disney’s studio-tour…8 Jul 2026 · 48 min · 17 chapters
ENCORE: Cruise Ship Wars | Mayday | 4Carnival vs. Royal Caribbean for Princess Cruises control, followed by how COVID-19 and later safety/regulatory changes reshaped the cruise industry.3 Jul 2026 · 45 min · 16 chapters
ENCORE: Cruise Ship Wars | A Shot Across the Bow | 3In 1986-1990, the cruise industry’s boardroom “wars” intensify between Carnival and Norwegian, then shift to Carnival vs Royal Caribbean. Topic: Norwegian’s failed IPO after the Oct.3 Jul 2026 · 43 min · 15 chapters
ENCORE: Cruise Ship Wars | Making Waves | 2Carnival Cruise Line’s rise in the early 1970s–1980s, framed as a competitive “cruise ship wars” story against Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean, including operational crises, marketing,…2 Jul 2026 · 45 min · 14 chapters
ENCORE: Cruise Ship Wars | Anchors Aweigh! | 1The rise of modern cruise lines and the corporate conflict behind Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival, culminating in Ted Arison’s alleged theft and scheme to restart after a…1 Jul 2026 · 42 min · 12 chapters