As the cruise industry enters the 21st century, Carnival and Royal Caribbean square off again as they battle to acquire British company Princess Cruises. Whoever wins Princess will be virtually uncatchable as the largest cruise company in the world. But when the Covid-19 pandemic breaks out, the cruise industry struggles to keep passengers safe, and the entire existence of the industry is in jeopardy. Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all ep...
Jul 24, 2024•45 min•Season 96Ep. 4
As Carnival cements its success by going public, founder Ted Arison and his son and CEO Micky set their sights on growing the company through acquisition. They make long-time rival Royal Caribbean their target. But with a new ambitious executive at the helm, Royal Caribbean isn’t going down without a fight. Norwegian Cruise Line struggles to keep up with the competition. Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first...
Jul 17, 2024•43 min•Season 96Ep. 3
After his bitter exit from Norwegian Cruise Line, Ted Arison has limited time to make his new company Carnival a success. With little funds and one run-down ship, the odds are stacked against him. Meanwhile, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean compete to be the most luxurious cruise ship company on the market. And all three get an unexpected boost from Hollywood. Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first t...
Jul 10, 2024•45 min•Season 96Ep. 2
In 1950, an enterprising Miami businessman has the idea to use a passenger liner to ferry retired Floridians to the Caribbean. He makes their time on board the ship as much a part of the appeal as the destination. Modern cruising is born, but it’s still just a small niche activity. But in the 1960s, a group of ambitious men in both the United States and Europe sees huge potential in this form of vacation travel. Within six years Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival are all founde...
Jul 03, 2024•41 min•Season 96Ep. 1
The Pac-12 was one of the most prestigious college football conferences in the nation, until its leading schools left for greener pastures with heftier media deals. Now, with only two teams left, the stakes are higher than ever for the Pac-12 to draw viewers. John Canzano, host of college sports podcasts The Bald Faced Truth and Canzano & Wilner , joins David to talk about what’s next for the teams and the sport as a whole. Later, we’re tapping in Chris Vannini of The Athletic to talk about ...
Jun 26, 2024•39 min•Season 95Ep. 5
It’s George Kliavkoff’s third week in charge of the Pac-12. But his new job will become a nightmare when the SEC makes a play that’ll send panic through entire the college football scene. 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...
Jun 19, 2024•37 min•Season 95Ep. 4
With the College Football Playoff boosting the sport’s worth, the rivalry between the Power 5 conferences is heating up. But as the Big Ten thrives, the Pac-12 will find itself trapped by its past. 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/link...
Jun 12, 2024•33 min•Season 95Ep. 3
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. 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. S...
Jun 05, 2024•36 min•Season 95Ep. 2
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. 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/busin...
May 29, 2024•39 min•Season 95Ep. 1
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 t...
May 23, 2024•37 min•Season 94Ep. 6
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 ...
May 22, 2024•41 min•Season 94Ep. 5
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 sta...
May 15, 2024•34 min•Season 94Ep. 4
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 Un...
May 08, 2024•33 min•Season 94Ep. 3
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 ...
May 01, 2024•33 min•Season 94Ep. 2
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 m...
Apr 24, 2024•37 min•Season 94Ep. 1
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...
Apr 18, 2024•38 min•Season 93Ep. 5
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 Busi...
Apr 17, 2024•42 min•Season 93Ep. 4
After five intense days, Sam Altman prevails over the OpenAI Board and is reinstated as CEO, with a new board in place. But the turmoil has shown that OpenAI is vulnerable and its competitors, including Google and Microsoft, are ready to take advantage of OpenAI’s weakness. And with OpenAI’s old board out and Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever’s role at OpenAI murky, the path is clear for OpenAI to develop and commercialize AI at an even faster rate than as before. Listen to Business Wars on the Won...
Apr 10, 2024•36 min•Season 93Ep. 3
OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever’s move to fire Sam Altman with no warning kicks off five days of chaos for the tech company. After he gets over the shock, Altman uses all his corporate savvy to fight back. For days, over McDonalds and Boba tea, Altman and the board feud over the path forward for Altman and OpenAI, while the business community waits on tenterhooks to find out the future of one of the most important AI companies in the world. Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever...
Apr 03, 2024•37 min•Season 93Ep. 2
From the outside, OpenAI looked like one of Silicon Valley’s biggest success stories. In 2022, it had stunned the world with the release of ChatGPT3.5, leapfrogging some of the biggest tech companies to be an industry leader in artificial intelligence. But, inside the company walls trouble was brewing. Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever had increasing concerns about the speed at which OpenAI was commercializing and releasing AI products. He worried about the direction AI was heading and the impact i...
Mar 27, 2024•45 min•Season 93Ep. 1
Costco's membership retention rate is the stuff of other retailers' dreams, nevermind the love they get on social media. With very little paid advertising, the company has managed to keep its spot as the third largest retailer in the U.S. We’re finding out how they do it with Susan and David Schwartz, authors of “ The Joy of Costco: a Treasure Hunt from A to Z ,” and Business Insider reporter Dominick Reuter . Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experien...
Mar 21, 2024•44 min•Season 92Ep. 6
With everything Taylor Swift’s been up to lately, being a Swiftie is almost a fulltime job. Today, David speaks with two digital creators who have been covering her since day one. First up, pop culture YouTuber Lauren Lipman talks about Taylor’s NFL era, the challenges of covering Taylor during her fight for her masters, and the time she got to meet Taylor. Next, digital creator and longtime Swiftie Autumn Kennedy takes us inside her fan account TS Tour Tips . With more than 400,000 followers, A...
Mar 20, 2024•41 min•Season 92Ep. 5
When Taylor Swift began planning The Eras Tour, she probably didn't expect to be at the forefront of an antitrust battle that could decide the future of concerts in the U.S. But the battle for Taylor Swift tickets leads Swift, her fans, and Senators into a tussle with Ticketmaster, the biggest live events company on the public markets. And Hollywood's 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 ...
Mar 13, 2024•39 min•Season 92Ep. 4
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. 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 f...
Mar 06, 2024•33 min•Season 92Ep. 3
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 his clients. And when she finds out about his plan, it'll be all out war. Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first t...
Feb 28, 2024•32 min•Season 92Ep. 2
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 business model of the music industry. But first, Swift has to make it big. And that's a one-in-a-million shot. Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all e...
Feb 21, 2024•38 min•Season 92Ep. 1
We’ve got the keys to Barbie's dream house and we’re unlocking her legacy, staying power and what’s ahead. We're joined by Time reporter and Mattel expert Eliana Dockterman and entertainment and culture journalist Matthew Jacobs to talk about Barbie's ups and downs and the key business decisions that revived the flailing brand. Plus, what's behind the movie's Oscars nominations... and snubs. Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-...
Feb 15, 2024•34 min•Season 91Ep. 5
When the Apple Watch first debuted, designer Jony Ive envisioned the gadget as a must-have in the world of high fashion. But even if the smartwatch hasn’t become a mainstay in the luxury world, it has become a tool many of us can’t live without. Wired Editor-at-large Steven Levy joins David to unpack the evolution of the Apple Watch. Steven’s covered Apple since the early 80s, and he’s connecting the dots to share how the Apple of yesterday brought us the Apple Watch of today. Later, GQ Senior S...
Feb 14, 2024•41 min•Season 91Ep. 4
It’s 2016 and in the wake of a major PR fiasco, Samsung is rolling out their new round smartwatch with a beautiful rotating bezel, while an MLB cheating scandal puts the Apple Watch squarely in consumers’ sights. And, enhanced health features in the Series 4 rocket Apple Watch sales to record heights. Meanwhile Samsung gets hit with a lawsuit and then releases a tone-deaf ad campaign savaged by women around the world. And as both smartwatch contenders add more health functionality to their devic...
Feb 07, 2024•40 min•Season 91Ep. 3
It’s 2012 and Apple’s legendary designer in chief, Jony Ive, decides the company’s first product launch after Steve Jobs’ death should be a smartwatch. But he struggles to get buy-in from CEO Tim Cook and upper management. Meanwhile Samsung races to beat Apple to market.. Then Samsung raises the stakes with a wildly successful satirical ad campaign aimed at Apple’s pretentiousness, but eventually launches a flawed smartwatch that leaves consumers cold. After Apple finally greenlights the smartwa...
Jan 31, 2024•40 min•Season 91Ep. 2
