Last episode
Ideas That Stick
s04e03 · 2026-08-17
Running · US
The Mega-Brands That Built America
History Documentary Next s04e04 · 2026-08-24
What it is
The Mega-Brands That Built America is the newest series in History's "That Built" franchise, telling the origin stories of some of the most successful businesses in history: from mega-stores like Costco and Walmart to sporting goods giants like Spalding and Wilson, titans like Ivory Soap, Schick and Gillette, to shipping giants like Fedex and UPS, and countless more of the biggest brand names in history. Each story is told through the "That Built" franchises' signature blend of expert interviews and archival, mixed with original premium recreations. Through the eyes of the visionaries and entrepreneurs behind the brands, the series takes viewers on a journey; starting with how it all began, following the innovations, the failures, and all the incredible achievements that forever changed the way Americans live. It's everything you didn't know about the colossal brands you know so well.
Episode highlights
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Racing to the Top
s04e04 · 2026-08-24
Episode guide
9 this season · 29 totals02e01 End of the Landlines 2024-04-29 01:00
End of the Landlines
When Motorola introduces the first handheld portable telephone to the world, the futuristic technology sets off a fierce battle among international telecommunications companies to produce the most popular cell phone. The competition for the next great mobile device produces innovations such as flip phones, ringtones, and text messaging. But when a little-known tech upstart from Canada decides to combine the features of a computer with a cell phone to make a smartphone called the Blackberry, the way we use phones will never be the same again.
s02e02 Internet Killed the Video Store 2024-05-06 01:00
Internet Killed the Video Store
A database software engineer is inspired to create a bigger, unprecedented family friendly video-store, Blockbuster. But, as the dot com boom explodes an opening appears for two software executives in California to redefine the industry and take on the media giant with their online subscription service, Netflix.
s02e03 Easy Money 2024-05-13 01:00
Easy Money
In the middle of the 20th century, a small piece of plastic revolutionizes the world of commerce as Diners' Club, Bank of America, and American Express race to change how people pay for everything kicking off the $6 trillion dollar a year credit card industry.
s02e04 Suite Dreams: Birth of the Modern Hotel 2024-05-20 01:00
Suite Dreams: Birth of the Modern Hotel
Two visionaries breathe new life into the hotel industry in America and the world, by setting the modern standard for hospitality. Despite setbacks, economic downturns, and international conflict, these rivals will stop at nothing to be number one.
s02e05 Music on the Move 2024-06-03 01:00
Music on the Move
In the 1950s, rival electronics companies aim to make music portable for the first time ever. What follows is a decades-long rivalry that prompts the creation of iconic products like the Pocket Radio, Cassette Tape, Walkman and the CD, alongside the rise of two of the biggest companies in the world.
s02e06 Clash of the Computer Titans 2024-06-10 01:00
Clash of the Computer Titans
A game designer named Steve Jobs starts a personal computer company in his parents' garage on his way to bringing computers mainstream. But when he commissions the help of a software design company run by Bill Gates, it's the beginning of one of the biggest rivalries in the history of American industry.
s02e07 Rentals to Riches 2024-06-24 01:00
Rentals to Riches
A down-on-his-luck car salesman has the visionary idea to start the first rental car company in America, and when he joins forces with cab company owner John Hertz, they spread their revolutionary business across the country. But when WWII veteran Warren Avis starts his own rental car company, fierce competition between the two gives rise to a new industry with a $100 billion annual market.
s02e08 Sneaker Head-to-Head 2024-07-01 01:00
Sneaker Head-to-Head
Two sneaker companies become industry titans through a decades long battle for global dominance, as they unleash iconic footwear that will bring sneakers mainstream and make them part of the fabric of American culture.