Business Wars

Pac-12 boss Larry Scott wants a media empire that can outshine the Big Ten. But to do it, he must strong-arm ESPN and then find a way to face down satellite TV giant DirecTV.

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It’s the 90s. College football’s a hot mess of untapped profit potential. But two TV execs have an answer. It’s called the Bowl Championship Series and it’ll ignite a rush for the big bucks.

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Soda has had its fair share of ups and downs, but now, a new wave of prebiotic pop promises to reinvent the fizzy drink consumers love. Poppi and Olipop are two buzzy, health-focused brands leading the charge. And David is cracking open a can of each to figure out whether these drinks really are soda's second coming...or just another wellness fad.

Featured Guests:Tristan Donovan, Author of Fizz: How Soda Shook Up the WorldAnn Gehan, Retail Reporter at The Information

Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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David is going behind the scenes with Ford’s Director of Vehicle Personalization, Mark Grueber, who helped power the “Bronco Underground.” You heard him in this season of Business Wars, and now he’s sharing what it was like to bring the iconic Bronco back to life — and how its buzzy launch almost bottomed out. Later, Larry Webster, Editor-in-Chief of the popular automotive outlet Hagerty Media, joins David to talk about the legacy of trailblazing SUVs like Jeep and Bronco, and whether we could see more electric off-roading vehicles in our future. 

Listen to Larry’s Never Stop Driving podcast from Hagerty. 

Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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It's 2008 and the U.S. government spends tense months deciding whether, and then how, to bail out the U.S. auto industry. Chrysler is saved through a forced merger with another foreign suitor — Italy’s Fiat. Fiat’s charismatic chairman makes Jeep the centerpiece of the new Fiat Chrysler. But Jeep also faces new competition as Ford decides to bring the Bronco back. Jeep doesn’t sit idle. It puts more horses under its hood than ever before. And the showroom showdown that follows will result in staggering demand and stunningly high prices for both Jeep and Bronco.

Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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It's 1996, and the last Bronco rolls off the assembly line in Michigan. Ford is moving on to bigger, lusher SUVs. Jeep is already there with its Grand Cherokee. And as it continues to be hugely popular, Chrysler tinkers with a merger. It eventually combines with Germany’s Daimler-Benz. The merger is a mess, and Jeep suffers under new management. Meanwhile, as the new millennium dawns, an underground group inside Ford quietly plots to bring back the Bronco. But just as it looks like the Bronco Underground may succeed it hits a major roadblock — a global, financial crisis that short-circuits both Ford and Chrysler.

Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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It’s 1965 and as the Bronco bucks onto the market, the Jeep boosts its engine power in hopes of catching up. But by the 1970s, the Jeep’s owner, the American Motor Company, has a new strategy: beat the Bronco by going bigger. AMC introduces the massive Jeep Cherokee, jump starting an arms race. Next, Bronco also goes big. Then, Jeep goes even bigger, and more luxurious, with the Grand Cherokee.

As the 1990s arrive, the rugged Bronco is falling out of favor with consumers. But it spends one more wild moment in the spotlight when a white Bronco leads a low-speed police chase on live television. Its passenger is murder suspect O.J. Simpson.

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It's 1940 and as Adolph Hitler’s forces storm across Europe, the American army pays a nearly broke U.S. carmaker to develop a lightweight, durable, all-purpose, all-terrain automobile for use in the coming world war. The vehicle that’s created comes to be known as the Jeep and it plays a pivotal role in winning that war. But the Jeep has a bumpy homecoming. And as Americans start spending more time on the road and behind the wheel, they pave the way for the rise of an off-road challenger. It’s made by Ford. And it’s called the Bronco.

Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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Allbirds was once valued at $4.1 billion. The sustainable shoe brand had a fast and meteoric rise that mirrored the path of many other direct to consumer brands, but by early 2024 Allbirds' luck had changed. Find out what wrong for the company and the DTC market broadly, and how they're trying to find their footing again.

Featured Guests: Ann Gehan, Retail Reporter at The Information Elizabeth Segran, Senior Staff Writer at Fast Company

Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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A lot has happened at OpenAI since that whiplash week in November 2023 when the board ousted its chief executive. There was an investigation to determine whether Sam Altman’s firing was just, and a lawsuit from OpenAI co-founder Elon Musk. Meanwhile, the company’s competition has been charging ahead. Julia Black, a reporter with The Information, joins host David Brown to break down the latest developments and shed light on where Sam Altman — and the future of AI — are going next. 

Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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