Spatial Competition in the Network Television Industry
用面板数据估计了一个包含潜在产品属性和消费者异质偏好的离散选择模型，分析网络电视产业中的空间竞争，发现企业的产品差异化策略总体最优，但实际与最优策略的差异反映了经验法则和有限理性。
We present an empirical study of spatial competition and a methodology to estimate demand for products with unobservable characteristics. Using panel data, we estimate a discrete-choice model with latent-product attributes and unobserved heterogeneous consumer preferences. Our application of the methodology to the network television industry yields estimates that are consistent with experts' views. Given our estimates, we compute Nash equilibria of a product location game and find that firms' observed strategies (such as the degree of product differentiation) are generally optimal. Discrepancies between actual and optimal strategies reflect the networks' adherence to rules of thumb and, possible, bounded rationality behavior. Copyright 2001 by the RAND Corporation.