Business Wars

Walt Disney World: it’s the Central Florida theme park destination that dreams are made of. And Universal’s dream is to build an even better theme park next door. But Disney boss Michael Eisner isn’t about to let it spoil the fun without a fight. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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 jeopa...

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. See Privacy Policy at http...

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. See Privacy Policy at https:...

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 v...

It’s 2013 and upstart yogurt brand Chobani is riding high. But in its huge new factory in Idaho, a microscopic threat is spreading: mold. And when it contaminates Chobani’s yogurt, founder Hamdi Ulukaya will face an agonizing choice. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

When a leaflet advertising a decrepit factory for sale lands in the office of struggling entrepreneur Hamdi Ulukaya, it sets him on a quest to make America fall in love with Greek yogurt. But to succeed, he must not just beat yogurt giants Yoplait and Dannon, but change the American diet. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-...

Ed is the grandson of footballing legend Gordon Banks. He was a national icon, the only goalkeeper ever to win the soccer World Cup for England. But Ed’s heard a rumour: that in 1970, while defending the title, his granddad, his hero, was poisoned… by the CIA. All part of a Cold War plot to bolster a military dictatorship in Latin America, supposedly. Could this possibly be true? Banks did get ill...

Back in 2014, Google Glass made the dream of smart glasses a reality for the tech-obsessed. But a hefty price tag and divisive design prevented Google from bringing its vision to the masses. A decade later, Meta seemingly cracked the code, offering affordable, fashion-forward smart specs in frames by established brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley. WIRED senior gear editor Julian Chokkattu and staff wr...

It’s 2023, and Meta Ray-Bans have just helped Mark Zuckerberg turn a corner. After his disastrous investment in the Metaverse, Meta’s AI-enabled smart glasses are a welcome victory for the company. But the competition is coming. And so are uncomfortable questions about mandatory data-sharing, worker exploitation, and federal agents using the glasses illegally. If smart glasses are here to stay, th...

It’s 2011, and two Stanford students have built eyeglasses with a tiny camera inside. Their a prototype paves the way for Meta Ray-Bans, the first tech-enabled eyewear to truly go mainstream after attempts like Google Glass fizzled. But in integrating their smart glasses into our daily lives, Meta has created something else: a tool for mass surveillance.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.c...

In 2019, the Netflix series Formula 1: Drive To Survive ushered in a major uptick in the sport’s popularity among Americans. Then, the 2021 F1 season saw an epic showdown between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, and interest exploded. The F1 fan-base is young, diverse and gaining on NASCAR. Formula 1 lead commentator Alex Jacques join us to share his insights into the rise of F1 in the U.S. mark...

Formula One is under new management and pushing to finally break into America. But after decades of failure, it needs to remodel its approach while also facing off against NASCAR. They're racing to capture the next generation of motorsport fans. If you’d like to hear more about the high-stakes drama of F1, we recommend the audiobook version of The Formula. You can listen right now on Audible. http...

When the European Union moves to ban tobacco sponsorship, Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone finds himself racing to expand the sport’s global reach. But as F1 goes global, NASCAR finds its TV appeal is running out of gas. If you’d like to hear more about the high-stakes drama of F1, we recommend the audiobook version of The Formula. You can listen right now on Audible. https://www.audible.com/pd/...

When moonshine runners turn stock car racers, Bill France creates NASCAR and turns it into America’s top motorsport. Meanwhile, in Europe, another canny operator – Bernie Ecclestone – is fighting to bend Formula One to his will. If you’d like to hear more about the high-stakes drama of F1, we recommend the audiobook version of The Formula. You can listen right now on Audible. https://www.audible.c...

It’s 2024 and Bumble’s users are increasingly frustrated by matches that go nowhere. Investors are equally uneasy as the stock price cascades from its post-IPO highs. In response, new CEO Lidiane Jones rolls out a rebrand with a major change. But the rollout faces a backlash and the company’s slide continues. Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd returns to save her company and to find out whether an ap...

It’s 2014 and twenty-four-year-old Whitney Wolfe sues Tinder for harassment, sending shockwaves through Silicon Valley. She walks away with a settlement but pays a high personal price for taking on the “boy’s club” culture in tech. That leads Wolfe to launch Bumble, an app with a radical feature — women make the first move. Bumble attracts millions of users and has a blockbuster IPO. But as t...

When Athletic hit the shelves in 2017, it proved to naysayers that you can have a non-alcoholic beer without sacrificing on taste. Dare we say, it even gave NA brews a certain cool-factor. Athletic helped kick off an NA craze that’s seen more and more alcohol-free beers, botanicals and mocktails infusing beverage menus. But does the trend have staying power? Kate Bernot is a food and beverage repo...

With its brewery finally open, Athletic Brewing is on a mission to get its beer into stores. But Heineken, the European leader in this space, is also chasing this growing market and now has its sights set on the U.S. And Athletic wants to prove it can compete not just with the alcohol industry, but against all beverages.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy...

It’s 2017 and Bill Shufelt is about to quit stock trading to start a company with a product it seems like nobody wants: non-alcoholic beer. And that’s not even his biggest hurdle. Because his plan depends on making alcohol-free beer taste great – a feat he’s not sure is even possible. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-...

It’s 2015 and Taylor Swift’s just thrown Apple Music into crisis. But as the Silicon Valley giant tries to get its music-streaming service back on track, its Swedish rival Spotify is about to launch a legal attack that will strike at the very heart of Apple’s business model. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-in...

It’s the late 2000s and the music industry dances to the beat of Apple iTunes. But two Swedish tech entrepreneurs are out to challenge Apple's dominance with their music-streaming startup Spotify. But to do that, they must facedown Internet pirates, record labels and Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https:...

When Michael Jordan signed with an upstart running shoe company called Nike in the 1980s, it revolutionized the signature sneaker landscape and made Nike the brand to beat. Under Armour made a similar play signing Steph Curry in 2013. But it didn’t pan out quite the way they hoped. Still, nowadays it seems like every star athlete needs a signature line. Tim Newcomb is a sneaker and sports tech rep...

It’s 2014 and Under Armour is getting increasingly aggressive as it takes on Nike, buying fitness apps and signing record-breaking endorsement deals. But they face a major setback when one of their biggest retail partners goes bankrupt. To recoup the lost revenue, Under Armour makes a risky deal. And as the company scrambles to keep up with the rise of ecommerce and athleisure, they face...

It’s 1995 and college football player Kevin Plank is frustrated with the way the cotton t-shirt he wears under his pads gets drenched with sweat. He begins designing a t-shirt made from a different kind of material - one that will wick away sweat and keep him cool and dry on the field. Upon graduating, Plank uses his life savings and maxes out his credit cards to launch Under Armour.&nbs...