Assessing Unilateral Merger Effects in a Two-Sided Market: An Application to the Dutch Daily Newspaper Market

TILEC Discussion Paper No. 2011-046

CentER Discussion Paper Series No. 2011-114

31 Pages Posted: 19 Oct 2011 Last revised: 26 Oct 2011

See all articles by Lapo Filistrucchi

Lapo Filistrucchi

Tilburg University, TILEC; University of Florence, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche

Tobias J. Klein

Tilburg University - Department of Econometrics & Operations Research; Tilburg University - Center for Economic Research (CentER); IZA Institute of Labor Economics; Netspar; Tilburg Law and Economics Center (TILEC)

Thomas Michielsen

Tilburg University - Tilburg University School of Economics and Management; Tilburg Sustainability Center

Date Written: October 19, 2011

Abstract

We compare different methods to assess unilateral merger effects in a two-sided market by applying them to a hypothetical merger in the Dutch newspaper industry. For this, we first specify and estimate a structural model of demand for differentiated products on both the readership and the advertising side of the market. This allows us to recover price elasticities and indirect network effects. Following Filistrucchi, Klein, and Michielsen (2010) marginal costs are then recovered from an oligopoly model of the supply side. We use these estimates of price elasticities, network effects and marginal costs to compare different methods that can be used to evaluate merger effects: We perform a concentration analysis based on the Herfindahl Hirschmann Index, a Small Significant Non-Transitory Increase in Price test, measure Upward Pricing Pressure, and conduct a full merger simulation.

Keywords: two-sided markets, newspapers, advertising, network effects, merger simulation, SSNIP

JEL Classification: L13, L40, L82

Suggested Citation

Filistrucchi, Lapo and Filistrucchi, Lapo and Klein, Tobias J. and Michielsen, Thomas, Assessing Unilateral Merger Effects in a Two-Sided Market: An Application to the Dutch Daily Newspaper Market (October 19, 2011). TILEC Discussion Paper No. 2011-046, CentER Discussion Paper Series No. 2011-114, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1946163 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1946163

Lapo Filistrucchi (Contact Author)

Tilburg University, TILEC ( email )

P.O. Box 90153
Tilburg, Noord-Brabant NL-5000 LE
Netherlands
+31 13 466 3360 (Phone)
+31 13 466 3042 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.lapofilistrucchi.com

University of Florence, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche ( email )

via delle Pandette 9
Florence, Florence IT-50127
Italy
+39 055 2759579 (Phone)
+39 055 2759910 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.lapofilistrucchi.com

Tobias J. Klein

Tilburg University - Department of Econometrics & Operations Research ( email )

Tilburg, 5000 LE
Netherlands

HOME PAGE: http://center.uvt.nl/staff/klein/index.html

Tilburg University - Center for Economic Research (CentER)

P.O. Box 90153
Tilburg, 5000 LE
Netherlands

IZA Institute of Labor Economics ( email )

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Netspar

P.O. Box 90153
Tilburg, 5000 LE
Netherlands

Tilburg Law and Economics Center (TILEC)

Warandelaan 2
Tilburg, 5000 LE
Netherlands

Thomas Michielsen

Tilburg University - Tilburg University School of Economics and Management ( email )

P.O. Box 90153
Tilburg, 5000 LE
Netherlands

Tilburg Sustainability Center ( email )

P.O. Box 90153
Tilburg, North Brabant 5000 LE
Netherlands

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