플랫폼 흡수(Platform Envelopment) 관점에서 본 케이블TV 산업의 변화와 시사점

Traditionally, the analysis of business competition has been made on the firm level. Recent development in the industrial economics and the competitive strategy has shifted the level of analysis to the eco-system level. Once a player has a platform leadership in the eco-system, it can lead other players to its favor. Essentially with a rule-setting power, the player with a network standard is in a better position to have the platform leadership in the eco-system. This is the case of ‘hold-up’ in the overall value chain. Playing within the game dominated by the platform leader, the platform-followers are essentially ‘locked-in’ the game. The position as a platform leader is always threatened by the moves of the other players. With the variety of technological or competitive changes, a platform leader loses its position to the other players. The locus of platform leadership in the eco-system is shifted to the other platform with a different leader. Eisenmann, Parker and Van Alstyne(2011) defined this entry path as the platform envelopment. Relying on the historical analysis, this paper attempts to analyze the Korean Cable TV industry. Historical development of the industry was periodized into four distinctive stages, and the formation and growth of the platform leadership was identified in each stage. Emergence of iPTV and satellite TV was identified as the platform envelopment threat. The findings in this research is expected to suggest a strategic implication for the cable TV system operators and the broadcasters.