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It’s early 2020, and COVID-19 is tearing through the world’s meatpacking plants at an alarming pace. Years of consolidation have produced vast quantities of retail-ready meat, and enormous profits for meatpacking conglomerates. But it’s also made them vulnerable to sudden disruption — like a pandemic. And people are starting to ask: is it too late to roll back the clock on Big Beef? If you’d like to learn more about the corporate meat industry, listen to the audiobook version of “The Meat Racket” by Christopher Leonard, or “Raw Deal” by Chloe Sorvino, available now on Audible. Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Business Wars ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.

A lot has changed in the eight years since the ranchers first sued Big Beef. IBP was acquired by Tyson Foods, a behemoth with even more ability to withstand a lawsuit. But no sooner does Tyson take the crown as world’s biggest meatpacker than a new heavyweight emerges: Brazil’s JBS. Founded as a family-owned business in the 1950s, JBS is now run by the billionaire Batista brothers, Joesley and Wesley. And they have an appetite for growth…  by any means necessary.If you’d like to learn more about the corporate meat industry, listen to the audiobook version of “The Meat Racket” by Christopher Leonard, or “Raw Deal” by Chloe Sorvino, available now on Audible.Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Business Wars ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 1996, a handful of cattle ranchers make a bold decision: to sue IBP, the biggest beef processor in the world. They accuse IBP of price-fixing, putting cattle producers out of business while raising prices for consumers. But the ranchers will soon learn that their fight with Big Beef has actually been raging for decades, involving antitrust crusaders in the 1920s and New York mobsters in the 1970s. And the meatpackers do not intend to lose now.If you’d like to learn more about the corporate meat industry, listen to the audiobook version of “The Meat Racket” by Christopher Leonard, or “Raw Deal” by Chloe Sorvino, available now on Audible.Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Business Wars ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Harley-Davidson’s suffering. The credit boom has gone bust and that’s hammering its sales. The snowmobile company behind the latest attempt to revive Indian Motorcycle sees an opportunity. But can America’s riders really be persuaded to trade in their Harleys? Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Business Wars ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s been 45 years since Indian Motorcycle became corporate roadkill. But as the 2000s approach, entrepreneurs are jockeying for the opportunity to resurrect it as an alternative to market leader Harley-Davidson. But can this one-time American icon really make a comeback?Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Business Wars ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For years, Buffalo Wild Wings was the undisputed king of chicken wings. But for the past decade, Wingstop has owned that crown with its takeout friendly spin on everyone’s favorite tangy, spicy party food. Food industry reporter Sam Oches is editor-in-chief of Nation’s Restaurant News, and host of the podcast Take-Away with Sam Oches. He joins David to take a bite out of this rivalry with a certified Business Wars taste test. Plus, he’ll share whether a recent uptick in in-person dining and an impending IPO can help Buffalo Wild Wings claw back market share from its biggest competitor.Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Business Wars ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After years of turning profits, in 2015 Buffalo Wild Wings sees signs of trouble.  Younger generations are  take-out over dine-in, and for the first time since going public, Buffalo Wild Wings starts to miss Wall Street expectations. And Buffalo Wild Wings CEO Sally Smith finds herself in the cross hairs of a hostile takeover attempt. As Smith leads her restaurant through the proxy battle, Wingstop continues to thrive, making a play to become the biggest wings restaurant in the country.Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Business Wars ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s the early 1980s, and a pair of brothers open a restaurant in Columbus, Ohio serving Buffalo wings. They see an opportunity to bring the spicy, tangy wings to diners around the country. The brothers are ambitious and Buffalo Wild Wings expands rapidly. A decade later, a couple in Texas gets a similar idea;  launching Wingstop in a suburb of Dallas.  But while Buffalo Wild Wings is focused on the full dining experience, Wingstop concentrates almost entirely on the wing itself.  And soon, the stage is set for the two restaurants to battle it out to be America’s King of Wings.Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Business Wars ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s May 2018, and the U.S. Supreme Court just struck down a law that banned most sports betting nationwide. The gold rush is on to capture a newly wide-open market of online gamblers. FanDuel and DraftKings shift seamlessly from daily fantasy companies to online sportsbooks, partnering with top athletes and pro sports leagues. But their methods for keeping customers hooked will shock the conscience, and threaten the very fan base that earned them billions. If you’d like to learn more about the FanDuel - DraftKings rivalry, you can listen to the audiobook version of “Billion Dollar Fantasy,” by Albert Chen right now on Audible. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s 2009, and most online betting is illegal in the U.S. Then tech founder Nigel Eccles finds a nifty loophole around fantasy sports, and FanDuel is born. The new ‘daily fantasy sports’ app allows users to play in short-term contests with quick payouts… almost like gambling by another name. But soon, a competitor emerges: DraftKings. The rivalry builds to a fever pitch, with battling ads running on national TV every 90 seconds. And that’s when the trouble really starts… If you’d like to learn more about the FanDuel - DraftKings rivalry, you can listen to the audiobook version of “Billion Dollar Fantasy,” by Albert Chen right now on Audible. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Recent visitors to China’s tech zone in Shenzhen have come away in awe of the country’s manufacturing capabilities, including its increasingly advanced humanoid robots. And when iRobot’s Chinese supplier took over the company this year, it looked like another win for Chinese tech. Christopher Mims is a tech reporter for the Wall Street Journal. He’s the author of “Arriving Today: From Factory to Front Door – Why Everything Has Changed About How and What We Buy.” He joins David to discuss robots, AI and what he calls “the new space race.” Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Business Wars ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s 2017 and the Roomba rules the robotic vacuum market. But cheaper competitors from China, some of whom offer more features for less money, start eating away at its lead. iRobot’s CEO Colin Angle fights back with lawsuits and a bet on premium pricing. But the competition keeps finding ways around him, and as a pandemic-fueled sales boom fades, iRobot’s finances start to crumble. Can a lifeline from Amazon pull the Roomba to safety or is the pioneer of home robots, about to get sucked up by the competition? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s 1984 and MIT professor Rodney Brooks has a radical idea: robots don't need complicated brains to navigate the world — they just need simple rules. Brooks and two of his students, Colin Angle and Helen Greiner, turn that idea into a company called iRobot. The company chases government contracts and builds robotic dolls. But in 2002, iRobot breaks through with the Roomba — a vacuuming robot. The Roomba bumps into chair legs, takes cats for joyrides, and propels iRobot to a blockbuster IPO. But the Roomba is headed for trouble. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After years on top, Sweet’N Low is sinking fast. Newer artificial sweeteners aspartame and sucralose are spawning fresh competition. But the problems go even deeper – because within its own ranks, fraudsters are draining Sweet’N Low's coffers. If you’d like to hear more about the artificial sweetener business, you can listen to the audiobook version of “Empty Pleasures” by Carolyn de la Peña right now on Audible. Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Business Wars ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The promise seemed miraculous. Sweetness minus the calories. But when studies begin to link artificial sweeteners with cancer, the entire industry faces oblivion. And it'll take some lightning-fast pivots and Donald Rumsfeld to pull it back from the brink. If you’d like to hear more about the artificial sweetener business, you can listen to the audiobook version of “Empty Pleasures” by Carolyn de la Peña right now on Audible. Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Business Wars ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.