Business Wars

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. Initially, the NFL dismissed the new league as a sideshow stunt. But the USFL’s spending spree has caught the full attention of the veteran league--which is exactly what New Jersey Generals owner Donald Trump wants. Support us by supporting our sponsors! Netsuite - You can download their FREE “Crushing the Five Barriers to Growth” guide today at Netsuite.com/WARS LinkedIn - To redeem a free $100 LinkedIn ad credit and launch your first campaign, go to LinkedIn.com/BW

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 something no one saw coming: it signs University of Georgia junior Herschel Walker, the biggest star in college football. When Walker signs with the USFL’s New Jersey Generals, he leaves more than his college diploma on the table. The Heisman trophy-winner passes up a seat at the table of America’s Team, the legendary Dallas Cowboys. “This,” Rozelle tells his colleagues, “is war.” Support us by supporting our sponsors! Molekule - For $75 off your first order, visit Molekule.com and enter promo code BW at checkout!

Best of Business Wars Daily | 1

Oreo vs. Hydrox. Twitter vs. TikTok. Business rivals are doing battle every day. On Business Wars Daily, we give you a brief daily update, Monday through Friday, on the latest wars between the world’s biggest companies happening right now. On this episode of Business Wars, we’re sharing our favorite Business Wars Daily episodes. We’ve got provocative ad campaigns, the next big thing in social media, accusations of corporate sabotage, and of course, beer. Check out Business Wars Daily for a daily fix of Business Wars, hosted by David Brown. Support us by supporting our sponsors! Robinhood- Robinhood is giving listeners of Business Wars a FREE stock like Apple, Ford, or Sprint to help you build your portfolio. Sign up at businesswars.robinhood.com ZipRecruiter- Find your next great hire for free at ZipRecruiter.com/BW

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? Support us by supporting our sponsors!

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 course with Burger Chef. And while the fast food wars continue to escalate at home, McDonald’s starts to set its sights abroad. Support us by supporting our sponsors!

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 in 15-cent burgers threaten to stop the race in its tracks. Ray Kroc believes that he has the answers but to beat Insta-Burger King and a new aggressive competitor from Indiana, he has to get out from the McDonald Brothers’ shadow--and he has to do it fast. Support us by supporting our sponsors! Quip - GetQuip.com/BW to get your first refill pack free with a Quip electric toothbrush!

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 him to register the Zankou Chicken trademark solely under his own name? And how could a simple business re-arrangement among a loving, growing clan end in murder? Support us by supporting our sponsors! Dollar Shave Club -  Go to DollarShaveClub.com/BW to get your Dollar Shave Club Starter Set for just $5.

Waze vs Apple Maps | 3

The debut of the Apple iPhone in 2007 means unprecedented changes for human communication. But even its inventor Steve Jobs at first fails to realize that the most powerful part of his invention isn’t the music player or the web browser. It’s the map. The physical world is about to collide with the virtual one, and that means a bitter fight for mobile mapping supremacy between Apple and its rival, Google. The two companies’ battle eventually leads to one of Apple’s rare missteps — but not before Jobs stuns the world by dying of pancreatic cancer. Meanwhile, an Israeli start-up is starting to make waves by crowdsourcing data to create a turn-by-turn navigation tool that provides up-to-the-minute accuracy. Good thing the founders have agreed not to sell for less than a billion dollars…Brought to you by the 2019 Lincoln MKC. Support us by supporting our sponsors!

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 records with its IPO, finds itself on life support. But the battle isn’t over. Attorney General Janet Reno has been watching Microsoft snuff out the competition, and she’s about to make life hell for Bill Gates. Support us by supporting our sponsors! Keeps- Visit Keeps.com/BW for a free month of treatment! Quip - GetQuip.com/BW to get your first refill pack free with a Quip electric toothbrush!

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 hardware, banking that someone else would figure out how to make their machine run. Now programmers are racing to develop an operating system and deliver it to the company’s headquarters in New Mexico. Allen knows he can do it, but in order to do it first, he’ll need some help. For that, he reaches out to his childhood friend, a 19-year-old Harvard sophomore named Bill Gates. Support us by supporting our sponsors! Fin - Go to Fin.com/BW to try Fin for free. Squarespace - Create your beautiful new website at Squarespace.com/BW and use offer code BW at checkout.

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 about to change all that. Fueled by a combination of Pepperidge Farm cookies, Skittles and hubris, Andreessen and Bina emerge from the basement with Mosaic, the user-friendly web browser that will popularize the internet—if it doesn’t crash the school’s server first.   Support us by supporting our sponsors! Freshbooks - Get a free trial by going to freshbooks.com/BW and tell them you heard about them from Business Wars. Quip - GetQuip.com/BW to get your first refill pack free with a Quip electric toothbrush! Article - You can get $50 off your first order of $100 or more only at Article.com/BW

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 verge of bankruptcy, his plans will position Monster to take a massive bite out of Red Bull’s multi-billion dollar industry.  Support this show by supporting our sponsors! Get to know the well-connected 2019 Lincoln MKC at Lincoln.com/Wondery Article - You can get $50 off your first order of $100 or more only at Article.com/BW Keeps - Visit Keeps.com/BW for a free month of treatment!

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? Beyoncé’s surprise album drops? The countless list of songs featuring Nicki Minaj? It all started here. Plus: after all is said and done, was Napster good for music or not? The answer might not be that simple. Support this show by supporting our sponsors! Dollar Shave Club - Go to DollarShaveClub.com/BW to get your Dollar Shave Club Starter Set for just $5.

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 the judge overseeing the whole affair isn’t going to just swallow whatever arguments Napster’s high-priced lawyer dishes up. And buried somewhere in the mountains of evidence is one message that could destroy everything.

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. Their idea is solid, but the finances are weak. It’s time to incorporate and find investors. Shawn turns to draw up papers. To Shawn’s shock, his uncle takes 70 percent of the company for the effort. And, as it turns out, it costs a lot of money to bring the world free music. Support this show by supporting our sponsors! David loves Lantana Hummus and so can you! Go to LantanaFoods.com and find Lantana Hummus at your local grocery store.

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. Why would anyone pay 18 or 20 bucks for a CD ever again?   Musicians like the Offspring greet the technology with open arms. Some bands see Napster as a way to make more money on each song while breaking the control of the record labels over their music. But not so fast. The record industry isn’t just going to give up its $15 billion in annual profits. And the music execs are convinced: the courts will be on their side. Support us by supporting our sponsors! ZipRecruiter - Using ZipRecruiter to find your next great hire is smart. Go to ZipRecruiter.com/BW

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 the failure of Microsoft’s new Xbox One to deliver. Support this show by supporting our sponsors! Dollar Shave Club - Get your starter kit at DollarShaveClub.com/BW

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 console, by a lot, and it’s new processor confuses game designers. But that’s not all. Nintendo is back and they’re about to introduce another console that will send both companies scrambling. The Nintendo Wii is instantly a sensation, and Microsoft and Sony are left in it’s dust. Support this show by supporting our sponsors! Lincoln - Learn more about the Well-Connected 2019 Lincoln MKC at lincoln.com/wondery Squarespace - Go to squarespace.com/BW and use offer code BW for a free trial to build a beautiful new website. Freshbooks - Get a 30-day free trial at Freshbooks.com/BW and enter Business Wars in the "How did you hear about us?" section.

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 history that didn’t quite happen the way the company says — it’s all on this episode of Southwest vs. American Airlines, on Business Wars.

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. Kelleher has a business to run. So he embarks on a crazy plan to snag a few extra slots for Southwest. It may not work, but one thing’s certain: it will be a whole lot of fun. Support us by supporting our sponsors! Lincoln - Learn more about the Well-Connected 2019 Lincoln MKC at lincoln.com/wondery Squarespace - Go to squarespace.com/BW and use offer code BW for a free trial to build a beautiful new website. Podium - Get 10% off by visiting Podium.com/BW

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 they’re tired of playing phone tag. The American Society of Travel Agents has plans to roll out a new electronic system, one that could force American to lose its unofficial preferred status. The company has to get its system to market first — and its leaders have to convince the travel agencies to get onboard. But there’s a much bigger threat looming on the horizon, one that could give a big boost to upstart rivals like Southwest Airlines. Deregulation is coming, and when it does it will change everything. Support this show by supporting our sponsors! Lincoln - Learn more about the Well-Connected 2019 Lincoln MKC at lincoln.com/wondery Keeps - Get a free month of treatment free when you visit them at keeps.com/bw

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 getting Southwest off the ground would have been a lot easier if they had any planes… Support us by supporting our sponsors! Lincoln - Learn more about the Well-Connected 2019 Lincoln MKC at lincoln.com/wondery ZipRecruiter - Try it today for FREE by going to ZipRecruiter.com/BW Podium - Get 10% off by visiting Podium.com/BW

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 drastically different paths for the future. One gets as far away from soda as they can, the other doubles down. Both wrestle for dominance over every pocket of the soft drinks market - juice, bottled water, sports drinks and yes, cola - and show no signs of slowing anytime soon. Support this show by supporting our sponsors! Quip - Get your first refill pack FREE at GetQuip.com/BW

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 another trick up its sleeve. The company is out for blood with the Pepsi Challenge, a nationwide taste test that will endanger the most precious part of Coca-Cola lore: its secret recipe. Support this show by supporting our sponsors! ZipRecruiter - Try ZipRecruiter for FREE and find your next great hire at ZipRecruiter.com/BW Podium - Get 10% off by visiting Podium.com/BW

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 ahead of Coke with his dirty business practices. It’ll be up to lawyer and turnaround artist Walter Mack to stop the baddest man in the candy business. By supporting our sponsors, you are supporting this show! Squarespace - Go to squarespace.com/BW and use offer code BW for a free trial to build a beautiful new website.