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is the
congestion (unction
?
o( side + in plat(orm i"
giving the level o( congestion" #here
k
i
N
stands (or the e0pected mass o( group +
adhering to plat(orm i. The
parameter
k
e notates the #illingness to pay
o( i%plat(orm%+%type participant in order to
avoid congestion +or his unit #aiting cost-
#hich is assumed to be also the same (or all
Journal of research in Industrial Organization &
agents o( side%+. 5o" the congestion cost born
by agent + in plat(orm i is given by
k k
i
e y .
The surplus o( agent + having chosen to
adhere to plat(orm 1 is
1 1
k k k k
S u t x = +2-
and the surplus o( agent + having chosen to
access to plat(orm 2 is
( )
2 2
1
k k k k
S u t x = +!-
#here
k
t is the so%called transportation cost
or product di((erentiation parameter
and
k
x +resp.
( )
1
k
x - inde0es the
pre(erence o( agent + to plat(orm 1 +resp. 2- .
The term
k k
t x +resp.
( )
1
k k
t x - can be
thought as the opportunity cost born by
agent + o( having chosen plat(orm 1 +resp. 2-
#hile it3s 9ideal: is plat(orm 2 +resp. 1-.
The location o( the marginal +%type #ho is
indi((erent bet#een the t#o plat(orms is
1 2
1
2 2
k k
k
k
u u
x
t
= + +&-
The pro(it (unction o( plat(orm i is
D
( ) ( )
B B B S S S
i i i i i
p c N p c N = + +?-
2n #hat (ollo#s" #e adopt the (ollo#ing
assumptions
Assumption A
k
k k
e
t >
Assumption A guarantees the submarket + to
be shared. )e adopt this assumption as to
avoid the (act that only one plat(orm corners
the t#o submarkets. 7roadly speaking" #e
can learn (rom assumption A that agents3
pre(erences (or the plat(orms dominate +net-
cross%e0ternalities bene(its
D
.
Assumption "
( )
2
4
B S B S
t t > +
Assumption 7 ensures the concavity o( the
pro(it (unction ( )
i
#ith respect to prices
B
i
p and
S
i
p .2n order to analy4e the pricing
policy o( a t#o%sided duopoly plat(orm #ith
t#o%sided congestion e((ect" #e need to
present in the (ollo#ing section the ma/or
results o( Armstrong +200,- studying the
pricing policy o( t#o no%congested plat(orms
competing A%la >otelling.
Duopoly pricing without two-sided
congestion effect a benchmar#
Armstrong +200,- has studied the pricing
policy o( a duopoly plat(orm #ithout
congestion e((ect. >e analy4es the case #here
the plat(orms compete #ith each other
according to the >otelling arti(act and the
t#o distinct groups are single%homers. The
main results o( Armstrong +200,- are given
in the (ollo#ing lemma$
$emma% 8or , , k l B S and k l = and
, 1, 2 i j and i j =
The implicit +%market share
( ) ( )
2 1
1
2 2
k l k k
i j i
k
i k
N p p
N
t
+
= + +,-
The (irst order condition (or symmetric
e.uilibrium price charged to side +
( )
l
k k k k l l
l
p c t p c
t
= + + +D-
? Journal of Industrial Organizations
The symmetric e.uilibrium price charged to
side +
k k k l
p c t = + +E-
Proof% 5ee Armstrong +200,-
Armstrong sho#s that indirect net#ork
e0ternalities result in a (ierce competition (or
submarket share bet#een the t#o plat(orms.
>e relates his (inding to the (act that each
plat(orm seeks to lure more members in each
side in order to 9steer: all the submarkets
(rom its rival. >o#ever" the divide%and%
con.uer pricing strategy arises$ each
plat(orm subsidi4es the side that is 9needed
more: and it covers the loss on the other.
Duopoly platform with two-sided
congestion effect
6o#" #e are ready to give our main results"
taking into account t#o%sided congestion
e((ect" in the (ollo#ing proposition
Proposition 8or , , k l B S = and k l F
, 1, 2 i j = and i j
The implicit +%market share o( plat(orm i is
( ) ( )
2 1
1
2
2
k l k k
i j i
k
i
k
k
N p p
N
e
t
+
= +
| |
+
|
\
+@-
The e.uilibrium +%market share o( plat(orm i
is
( ) ( ) 1
2
2
l k k k l l
j i j i
k
i
B S
B S B S
t p p p p
N
e e
t t
+
= +
( | || |
+ +
( | |
\ \
+10-
The (irst order condition (or symmetric
e.uilibrium price charged to side + is
( )
k l
k k k k l l
l
l
e
p c t p c
e
t
= + + +
+11-
The e.uilibrium symmetric price charged to
side + is
k
k k k l
e
p c t
| |
= +
|
\
+12-
The e.uilibrium symmetric pro(it is
2
B S
B S B S
i
e e
t t
| | | |
+
| |
\ \
=
+1!-
Proof%5ee Appendi0
)e can learn (rom the proposition the
(ollo#ing
C0pression +@- sho#s that the lure o( an
additional l%type to plat(orm 1, 2 i = is
accompanied by the attraction
o(
k
k
k
e
t
.
8urthermore" #e sho# that the (raction
#ith congestion is lo#er than that
#ithout congestion"
k
k
t
. As a result" the
positive net#ork bene(its are
diminished by the #ithin%side cro#ding.
2n addition to the A%la >otelling
standard pricing result"
k k
c t + " #e
recogni4e that the access price charged
by each plat(orm to side +" given in +11-"
Journal of research in Industrial Organization ,
is ad/usted up#ard by the marginal
congestion cost that agent + imposes on
the o(%his%type agents"
k
e
" and
do#n#ard by the cross%e0ternality
related term
( )
l
k l l
l
l
p c
e
t
+
+
.
Compared #ith Armstrong +200,-" this
latter term" interpreted as the
opportunity cost 9of raising b. enough
the group*+ price to cause one group*+
agent to lea)e:" is reduced. The
opportunity cost is lo#er the higher the
marginal congestion cost that any l%type
agent imposes on the ls"
l
e
. 2ndeed" the
net#ork bene(it that any agent brings to
the opposite group is reduced due to
congestion e((ect because luring one
type to one group negatively a((ects the
participation o( his group and there(ore
the participation o( the opposite one.
=lat(orms take into consideration the
interplay bet#een the negative direct
and positive indirect e0ternalities.
*elative to Armstrong +200,-"
e0pressions +12- and +1!- demonstrate
that t#o%sided congestion e((ect so(tens
the competition bet#een plat(orms (or
submarket share in the sense that their
capability to compete is limited due to
the reduction o( the net#ork bene(its.
8or instance" in peak periods" some
shopping malls monitor the adhesion o(
both buyers and sellers and they tend to
ban the entry o( the additional ones.
2t (ollo#s (rom the proposition t#o
corollaries that go into our analysis in depth.
Corollary & The gaps bet#een the sides3
prices
( )
B S
p p #ith and #ithout
congestion are" respective
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
1
C B S B S S B B S
p c c t t e e = + + +
( ) ( ) ( )
B S B S S B
p c c t t = + +
Proof% 7ased on e0pressions +E- and +12-" corollary 1 is omitted
Compared #ith Armstrong +200,-" #e sho#
that" #ith congestion" the divide%and%con.uer
pricing strategy is modi(ied inso(ar as the gap
bet#een sides3 prices depends on the sign o(
the di((erential o( the agents unit #aiting
costs
( )
B S
e e . 2( the latter di((erential is
positive +resp. negative-" each plat(orm tends
to 9divide: more +resp. less- one side.
Corollary ' C0pression +11- can be re%
#ritten as
1 1
k k k l k k
i i
i j
p c t e N
| |
= + + +
|
|
\
Proof% Taking into account that the t#o plat(orms share the t#o submarkets e.ually at a symmetric
e.uilibrium and admitting that the plat(orms have the same amount o( capacity" corollary 2 is
omitted.
Corollary 2 raises a ne# interesting result
that has not been a((orded attention in the
literature studying congestion pricing. )e
sho# that the per%access price charged by
each plat(orm i to a +%type agent covers not
only the marginal congestion cost that he
imposes on the o(%his%type agents having
accessed to that plat(orm
k
i
e
= +
Taking into account the (act that
2 1
1
k k
N N = " #e obtain
( ) ( ) ( )
1 1 2 1
2 1 1 2
1
2 2
k
k l k k k
k
k
e
N N p p
x
t
+ +
= +
Assuming the e0pected +%submarket share o( plat(orm 1 is (ul(illed" that is
1
k k
x N = " #e easily
obtain e0pression +@- in the proposition (or 1 i = . )e deduce e0pression +@- (or 2 i = taking into
account that
2 1
1
k k
N N = .
2t (ollo#s (rom e0pression +@- the (ollo#ing system
Journal of research in Industrial Organization E
( )
( )
2 2
2 2
B B
B B B S B B B B
i i j i
S S
S B S S S S S S
i i j i
e e
t N N t p p
e e
N t N t p p
| |
+ = + +
|
\
| |
+ + = + +
|
\
The resolution o( the above system gives e0pression +10-
(or , , ; k l B S k l = and , 1, 2; i j i j = .
The pro(it (unction o( plat(orm 1, 2 i = is
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
1 2 1 2
, , ; ,
B B B k k S S S k k
i i i i i
p c N p p p c N p p k B S = + =
#here ( )
k
i
N is given in +10-.
The ob/ective o( plat(orm 1, 2 i = is to solve the (ollo#ing ma0imi4ation program
( )
,
max ,
B S
i i
B S
i i
p p
p p
The 8.B.C result in the (ollo#ing system
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
1
0
2
1
0
2
S B B B S S S B B S S S
j i j i i i
B S S S B B B S S B B B
j i j i i i
t p p p p t p c p c
t p p p p t p c p c
(
+ + =
( + + =
#here 2 0
B S
B S B S
e e
t t
( | || |
= + + >
( | |
\ \
given assumption A.
Assuming a symmetric e.uilibrium" that is
1 2
k k k
p p p = = " #e obtain
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
1
0
2
1
0
2
S B B S S S
B S S B B B
t p c p c
t p c p c
(
+ =
( + =
@ Journal of Industrial Organizations
Cach e.uation o( the above system allo#s us to obtain e0pression +11- in the proposition
(or , , k l B S and k l = . )e can re%#rite the latter system as (ollo#s
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
2
2
S B B S S S
B B B B S S
t p c p c
p c t p c
+ =
+ =
The resolution o( the system allo#s us to easily obtain the e.uilibrium symmetric prices de(ined in
e0pression +12- in the proposition (or , , k l B S and k l = . The e.uilibrium e0ists because the
>essian matri0
( )
( )
2
2
B S
S
B S
B
t
H
t
| |
+
|
|
=
|
+
|
|
\
is negative semi%de(inite in the case #here assumptions A and 7 are met.
8inally" it3s easy to obtain +1!- by inserting +12- in e0pression +?- +the symmetric e.uilibrium
submarket shares are e.ual
1
2
-.
Endnotes
1
8or more e0amples o( t#o%sided plat(orms
see Cvans +200!-" among others.
2
The one%sided congestion e((ect in t#o%
sided markets setting is also studied by Aloui
and Hebsi +200E-. Their model concerns
commercial (airs and clinics in #hich the side
o( buyers +#hether visitors or patients- is
congested and the sellers3 +#hether
e0hibitors or doctors- is not.
!
Austin 8rakt +200@- argues that 9relati)e to
the old parit. pricing s.stem" if women pa.
less than men to enter $ude4s 5lub" the. are
both more willing to attend and to ha)e a
better time:. Conse.uently" #hat Austin 8rakt
claims about Iude3s club is not al#ays true.
&
5ee *eitman +1@@1- (or the (ormulation o(
congestion (unctions o( di((erent (orms o(
congestion in particular (or the processor
sharing.
?
The e0pected submarkets shares o( the
plat(orms are assumed to be (ul(illed
i.e.
1
k k
x N = and
( )
2
1
k k
x N =
,
2( the reverse case holds .i.e.
k
k k
e
t <
" all
+%agents choose the plat(orm having the
larger l%submarket share and there(ore that
plat(orm corners the t#o%sided market.
D
2( the reverse case holds .i.e.
k
k k
e
t <
" all
+%agents choose the plat(orm having the
larger l%submarket share and there(ore that
plat(orm corners the t#o%sided market.
Journal of research in Industrial Organization 10
)eferences
Aloui" C. and Hebsi" K. +200E-" 9Bptimal
pricing o( a t#o%sided monopoly plat(orm
#ith one%sided congestion e((ect:" ?D
th
con(erence o( A85C" =aris.
Anderson" 5=. and Coate" 5. +200?-" 9<arket
provision o( broadcasting$ a #el(are
analysis:" 1he Re)iew of 6conomic 3tudies
+D2-" @&D%@D2.
Armstrong" <. +200,-" 9Competition in t#o%
sided markets:" Rand Journal of 6conomics
+!D-" ,,E%,@1.
7elle(lamme" =. and Toulemonde" C. +200@-"
96egative intra%group e0ternalities in t#o%
sided markets:" International 6conomic
Re)iew +?0-" 2&?%2D2.
Ie =alma" A. and eruth" . +1@E@-"
9Congestion and game in capacity$ a duopoly
analysis in the presence o( net#ork
e0ternalities:" #nnales d76conomie et de
3tatisti8ue +1?-J+1,-" !E@%&0D.
>agiu" A. +200&-" 9T#o%sided plat(orms$
pricing and social e((iciency:" *2CT2
Iiscussion =aper 5eries 0&%C%0!?" *esearch
2nstitute o( Cconomy Trade and 2ndustry"
Hapan.
Cvans" I. +200!-" 9The antitrust economics o(
multi%sided plat(orm markets:" 9ale Journal
on regulation" +20-" !2?%!E2.
8rakt" A. +200@-" 9T#o%sided markets" part 2$
Kender%based price discrimination at the
nightclub" in the 92ncidental Cconomist:.
LBnlineM" http$NNtheincidentaleconomist.com
*eitman" I. +1@@1-" 9Cndogenous .uality
di((erentiation in congested markets:" 1he
Journal of Industrial 6conomics +!@-" ,21%
,&D.
*ochet" HC. and Tirole" H. +200!-" 9=lat(orm
competition in t#o%sided markets:" Journal of
the 6uropean 6conomic #ssociation +1-" @@0%
102@.
*ochet" HC. and Tirole" H. +200,-" 9T#o%sided
markets$ A =rogress *eport:" Rand Journal of
6conomics +!D-" ,&?%,,D.
5cotchmer" 5. +1@E?-" 9T#o%tier pricing o(
shared (acilities in a (ree%entry e.uilibrium:"
Rand Journal of 6conomics +1,-" &?,%&D2.