Economics of the Media, Entertainment, and Communications Sector

This course analyzes business decisions in current and historical cases from the media, entertainment, and communications sector. Topics include (1) pricing, bundling and tiering of media products, (2) horizontal and vertical integration of content, distribution, and hardware, (3) selling and buying advertising, (4) choosing between subscription-funded, advertising-funded, or mixed revenue models, (5) negotiations between content and distribution, (6) antitrust in media and technology, (7) the effect of technology on the news media business, (8) the labor market for entertainment stars, (9) competition and regulation in communications infrastructure, (10) strategy in spectrum auctions, and more. There is an emphasis on combining concepts from economics and statistics with institutional knowledge about the sector. The course format is case discussion, guest speakers from the industry, and discussion of concepts from economics and statistics. Evaluation is based on class participation, completion of reading and written assignments, and a final paper.