An example of a firm operating in an oligopoly is Pepsi Co. This company operates in an oligopoly because there are a few companies in the soft drinks market (Coca-Cola, 7Up, Dr. Pepper, Sierra Mist, to name a few), which indicates that there are lots of barriers for a new company to enter the market. When we think of the soft drink industry, two of the names that immediately come to mind are the Coca-Cola Co. and Pepsi Co. These companies are successful and have a world-wide consumer base (due to their presence in the world-wide soft drink market), which makes it hard for newer companies to enter the industry and succeed.
An example of a company that operates in a monopoly is ESPN, the sports news company. When looking for sports news, the channel everyone turns to is ESPN. They are the only company that has a world-wide reputation for being the premier channel for news on the sports world. There are no other companies that can come close to matching ESPN's reach or success, since this company is the only company that is solely devoted to delivering news on sports, twenty-four hours a