EconWorks Podcast

Are Platforms Breaking Antitrust?

What happens when the “market” isn’t a product—but a platform? In this episode, we unpack why traditional antitrust tools struggle with platforms and introduce a new way to think about them. From credit cards to Google to sports leagues, not all platforms work the same way—and that distinction matters more than you think. Read the full article and graphic analysis: https://blog.econworks.com/p/when-the-platform-is-the-market?r=562wri [https://blog.econworks.com/p/when-the-platform-is-the-market?r=562wri] Explore more visual economics content: https://econworks.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EconWorks-d3e Substack: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.econworks.com/subscribe [https://blog.econworks.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Mattresses, Mergers & Vertical Power: AI Wraps Up Season 1

The season finale tackles the FTC’s challenge to Tempur Sealy’s vertical merger with Mattress Firm. Was the merger a smart efficiency play in retail and manufacturing, or did it risk anticompetitive foreclosure? In this episode, AI critiques the expert economic analysis, focusing on vertical merger guidelines, concentration risks, and real-world retail dynamics. We compare the AI take to the court’s perspective and close season 1 with big-picture lessons on how antitrust should handle innovation, efficiency, and evidence in fast-changing markets. Read the full article and the graphic analysis: https://blog.econworks.com/p/ai-v-judge-episode-5-ftc-vs-tempur?r=562wri [https://blog.econworks.com/p/ai-v-judge-episode-5-ftc-vs-tempur?r=562wri] Explore more visual economics content: https://econworks.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EconWorks-d3e Substack: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.econworks.com/subscribe [https://blog.econworks.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

The $2.5 Billion Question in Pharmaceutical Antitrust

In this episode, we examine the economic foundations of reverse-payment antitrust law through the lens of the Takeda verdict. The Supreme Court’s *Actavis* decision shifted the focus from patent validity to payment size—but left unresolved how courts should measure what counts as “large.” We explore the circularity embedded in the framework, the role of damages models, and why jury decisions may ultimately substitute for missing economic methods. Read the full article and the graphic analysis: https://blog.econworks.com/p/the-885-million-question-actavis?r=562wri [https://blog.econworks.com/p/the-885-million-question-actavis?r=562wri] Explore more visual economics content: EconWorks [https://econworks.com] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@EconWorks-d3e] Substack [http://blog.econworks.com] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.econworks.com/subscribe [https://blog.econworks.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Google’s Ad Tech Empire Under the Microscope: AI Antitrust Critique

In this episode, we talk about the complexities of digital advertising in the US. DOJ v. Google ad tech case. Google’s integrated platform dominates ad servers, exchanges, and networks, and critics have accused it of excluding rivals. The AI looks at the main expert arguments about auctions, vertical integration, and market power and compares the criticism to the trial evidence. In this episode we unpack important but technical concepts like header bidding and multi-homing and put them in plain English. We also take a new look at one of the biggest ongoing antitrust battles in tech. Read the full article and the graphic analysis: https://blog.econworks.com/p/ai-v-judge-episode-4-united-states?r=562wri [https://blog.econworks.com/p/ai-v-judge-episode-4-united-states?r=562wri] Explore more visual economics content: EconWorks [https://econworks.com] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@EconWorks-d3e] Substack [http://blog.econworks.com] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.econworks.com/subscribe [https://blog.econworks.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

When Does Sharing Data Become the Same Thing as Fixing Prices?

This episode explores the DOJ’s settlement with Agri Stats and the growing antitrust debate surrounding information sharing, algorithmic pricing, and AI coordination. The discussion covers: * why collusion is unstable, * how monitoring systems sustain coordination, * the role of AI pricing algorithms, *and why future antitrust cases may become increasingly difficult to detect and prove. Read the full article and the graphic analysis: https://blog.econworks.com/p/when-does-sharing-data-become-the?r=562wri [https://blog.econworks.com/p/when-does-sharing-data-become-the?r=562wri] Explore more visual economics content: EconWorks [https://econworks.com] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@EconWorks-d3e] Substack [http://blog.econworks.com] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.econworks.com/subscribe [https://blog.econworks.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]