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Does Vertical Integration Decrease Prices? Evidence from the Paramount Antitrust Case of 1948

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  • Ricard Gil

Abstract

I empirically examine the impact of the 1948 Paramount antitrust case on ticket prices using a unique dataset collected from Variety magazine issues between 1945 and 1955. With information on prices, revenues, and theater ownership for an unbalanced panel of 393 theaters in 26 cities, I find that vertically integrated theaters charged lower prices and sold more admission tickets than nonintegrated theaters. I also find that the rate at which prices increased in theaters was slower while integrated than after vertical divestiture. These findings together with institutional details are consistent with the prediction that vertical integration lowers prices through the elimination of double marginalization. (JEL G34, K21, L11, L22, L42, L82)

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  • Ricard Gil, 2015. "Does Vertical Integration Decrease Prices? Evidence from the Paramount Antitrust Case of 1948," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 7(2), pages 162-191, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejpol:v:7:y:2015:i:2:p:162-91
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/pol.20120245
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    Cited by:

    1. Chung, Hoe Sang & Kim, Min & Yi, Gihwan, 2018. "Screening decisions of vertically integrated theaters in the Korean movie industry," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 170(C), pages 6-9.
    2. Marissa Beck & Fiona Scott Morton, 2021. "Evaluating the Evidence on Vertical Mergers," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 59(2), pages 273-302, September.
    3. Jordi McKenzie, 2023. "The economics of movies (revisited): A survey of recent literature," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(2), pages 480-525, April.
    4. Philippe Choné & Laurent Linnemer & Thibaud Vergé, 2021. "Double Marginalization and Vertical Integration," CESifo Working Paper Series 8971, CESifo.
    5. Kaniṣka Dam & Konstantinos Serfes, 2021. "A Price Theory of Vertical and Lateral Integration Under Productivity Heterogeneity," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 69(4), pages 751-784, December.
    6. Hongyi Li & Yi Lu & Zhigang Tao, 2017. "Vertical Integration and Firm Productivity," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(2), pages 403-428, June.
    7. Hazlett, Thomas W., 2022. "Free speech and the challenge of efficiency," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(9).
    8. Margaret E. Slade, 2021. "Vertical Mergers: A Survey of Ex Post Evidence and Ex Ante Evaluation Methods," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 58(4), pages 493-511, June.
    9. In Kyung Kim & Vladyslav Nora, 2020. "Does vertical integration enhance non-price efficiency? Evidence from the movie theater industry," Review of Economic Design, Springer;Society for Economic Design, vol. 24(3), pages 143-170, December.
    10. Konstantinos G. Papadopoulos & Emmanuel Petrakis & Panagiotis Skartados, 2022. "The ambiguous competitive effects of passive partial forward ownership," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 89(2), pages 540-568, October.
    11. Charles B. Weinberg & Cord Otten & Barak Orbach & Jordi McKenzie & Ricard Gil & Darlene C. Chisholm & Suman Basuroy, 2021. "Technological change and managerial challenges in the movie theater industry," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 45(2), pages 239-262, June.
    12. Francine Lafontaine & Margaret E. Slade, 2021. "Presumptions in Vertical Mergers: The Role of Evidence," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 59(2), pages 255-272, September.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • K21 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Antitrust Law
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L22 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Organization and Market Structure
    • L42 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Vertical Restraints; Resale Price Maintenance; Quantity Discounts
    • L82 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Entertainment; Media

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