I&#x27;m not entirely certain whether their rivals actually value market share over profits as such. It&#x27;s hard to run a company for long if it&#x27;s not making money, regardless of what it&#x27;s market share is.<p>Market share matters for a lot of companies because economies of scale mean that your unit costs go down as volumes go up. This gives a natural advantage to market leaders, in addition to things like increased brand visibility.<p>Market share is very important to pundits though, because it changes very rapidly and is often measurable throughout the year on a per-product basis, whereas company financials are less frequently reported and harder to tease out. A battle between products that readers can see in the shops and read reviews for is easier to create a narrative around than corporate financial performance. I think this is why sales numbers and market share are focused on so heavily in the media.