Hub Power and Hub(uses): Power Dynamics in Platform Ecosystems

Raz Agranat and Michal Gal

Antitrust Law Journal

Raz Agranat and Michal Gal, ‘Hub Power and Hub(uses): Power Dynamics in Platform Ecosystems’, (2026) 87(2) Antitrust Law Journal 327

Publication Date: June 2026

Summary

• Research on the market power and anticompetitive conduct of platforms has predominantly focused on the platforms themselves. This article directs attention to an overlooked source of power that profoundly shapes platform dynamics: highly connected hubs operating within platforms—such as celebrities on social media platforms.

• Drawing on network science and microeconomics, it demonstrates how hubs can exert disproportionate control over interactions and value creation within platform ecosystems, affecting both inter- and intra-platform competition.

• This article develops a novel analytical framework that identifies four key determinants of hub power: hub attractiveness, platform dependence, switching feasibility, and countervailing power dynamics.

• It demonstrates how hub power can fundamentally reshape platform dynamics and their resulting outcomes through detailed case studies—spanning e-books, chess, the air travel industry, social media, and streaming platforms.

• It also demonstrates the wide-ranging antitrust implications of the analysis across the entire legal process—from identifying efficient intervention points and potential competitive harms to setting liability standards and crafting remedial measures.