PLATFORM COMPETITION WITH ‘MUST‐HAVE’ COMPONENTS*
研究平台与组件间的排他性合约选择，发现组件受欢迎程度高、平台市场份额差距大、跨平台间接网络效应低时，组件更可能与单一平台签独家合约。
In platform‐component systems with indirect network effects, some ‘must‐have’ components are so popular with consumers that they create large, discrete indirect network effects when they become available on a platform. For example, ESPN is a must‐have component of cable TV platforms. This paper examines how platform market structures determine exclusive versus non‐exclusive contracts between platforms and components. It shows that a component provider is more likely to sign exclusive contracts with a single platform if its popularity is high, the platform market share difference is large, and cross‐platform indirect network effects are low.