XM Passes 6.5 Million Subscribers
By the Betanews Staff | Published April 3, 2006, 1:26 PM
XM said Monday that it had added 568,000 new subscribers to the service during the first quarter, bringing its subscriber base to over 6.5 million. The company also reiterated its end-of-year target of 9 million subscribers. While the numbers may seem impressive, the leading satellite radio service is struggling to hold off surging competitor Sirius.
Buoyed by shock jock Howard Stern, Sirius was on track to add around 750,000 subscribers by the end of March. Sirius announced it had passed 4 million total subscribers on March 22. XM said its major initiatives through the summer include the broadcasts of Major League Baseball, radio hardware that adds MP3 player functionality, FIFA World Cup soccer coverage, and the premiere of a radio show featuring Bob Dylan.
I love the Howard Stern show, but it is obvious now they have overpaid him. 500 million and he only brought in 750,000 subsribers in the first quarter. XM did not spend that amount on any celebrity, and they added 568,000. I bet Sirius stock falls big time.
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|XM? Why go XM when you can go Howard Stern With Sirius. I'm shocked XM is ever in the business still since howard is in the mix. People really must not know what they are mission.
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|since i have been a subscriber to xm i have been open up to a lot more music i thought i would ever have.
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|Don't worry. WiFi radio is coming soon. I'm invisioning car stereo systems being able to play internet-based radio streams in the near future. Just give it another year or 2. Many cities are already installing WiFi networks through their neighborhoods. Philadelphia is currently the biggest right now with its 134 sq mile of hotspots.
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|Let me see, I pay someone else to pick music for me to listen to? No thanks, I can burn my own.
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|Umm, i don't see a need for a satellite radio when i own an ipod. Some people that use xm maybe cause they like the sports channels, but still i can't see why anyone would get xm or sirius. My friend has one of those and he can only listen to it on the road, at work the signal fades, and the same thing happens when he goes back home.
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|Amazing. People pay for something they can pretty much get on a few mp3 disks/player. With podcasts and aux connections. Oh well, it's their money.
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|That's true, except for one small minute, trivial, insignificant little detail..
its NOT Live!
Yeah, I can get pod cast, and listen to it.. but its not a live broadcast.. its delayed. I like to interact with some radio shows in my car, they do listener polls.. I like to call in, and vote or make comments.
I can't do that, on a delayed broadcast.
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|XM does not have ads you dumb ass. don't say something thats not true. i'm not much of a fan of sirius but no matter what there both better than " free FM"
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|Some of the XM music channels do have ads, none of the Sirius music channels have ads. He is not "saying something that is not true"
You must not read this site regularly :)
http://www.betanews.com/...sic_Channels/1141841479
Who is the dumb one now :)
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|Yeah, Sirius has ads too, at least on the comedy channels..
You didn't read the disclaimer, they have ad-FREE *MUSIC* channels.. there are about 60 of them, that ARE ad-FREE, but not *ALL*
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|but saying xm has more ads is false.
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|"but saying xm has more ads is false."
...but they do have more ads! None of the Sirius music channels have ads and 4 XM music channels have ads. Sirius 0 music chanels with ads -- XM 4 music channels with ads.
4 to 0 -- looks like XM has more ads
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|What's Sirius At?
I have Sirius. I like it. People at work have XM, they seem to like it.. anyone with experience with both, give an opinion on which is better?
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|They both work great, it just depends on what you like to listen to. One has NFL, the other had MLB, etc.
Definately worth the money though. Pays for itself after one road trip.
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|It's all about content choice. Pick your poison, but XM has more ads.
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|Oh yeah! That's a big 10-4.
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