Why Is Exclusivity in Broadcasting Rights Prevalent and Why Does Simple Regulation Fail?
Published online on May 12, 2026
Abstract
["The RAND Journal of Economics, Volume 57, Issue 2, Page 402-419, Summer 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nPay‐TV firms compete both downstream to attract viewers and upstream to acquire broadcasting rights. Because profits inherited from downstream competition satisfy a convexity property, allocating rights to the dominant firm maximizes the industry profit. Such an exclusive allocation of rights emerges as a robust equilibrium outcome but may fail to maximize welfare. We analyze whether a ban on resale and a ban on package bidding may improve welfare. These corrective policies have no impact on the final allocation but lead to profit redistribution along the value chain."]