would succeed.
By the end of 2005, XM had 6 million subscribers and 150 channels, and Sirius
had 3.3 million subscribers and 130 channels. XM reached four million users faster than MP3 players,
CD players, cell phones, and Internet service providers. Wall Street analysts have projected the number
of subscribers for both XM and Sirius combined will reach between 18 to 20 million in the U.S. by 2010.
These projections were based on the huge potential user base as there are approximately 575 million
radios in the U.S., with an average of 5.6 radios per household. Also, an estimated 95 percent of the
vehicles in the U.S. have radios and represent a major market opportunity for satellite radio.
Programming
With the ability to offer so many different channels, XM Satellite Radio has a wide variety of
programming and a huge potential user base. As of 2006, XM Satellite Radio offered approximately 170
channels including:
News channels such as CNN, Fox News, BBC World Service, CNBC, ABC News & Talk,
Bloomberg Financial News, Air America Radio, and the Discovery Channel
Comedy channels such as XM Comedy, Laugh USA and Laugh Attack
Talk radio programming such as Opie & Anthony, Ellen DeGeneres, Dr. Laura Schlesinger, Bob
Edwards on XM Public Radio, and G. Gordon Liddy
Sports programming such as Major League Baseball, ESPN Radio, Fox Sports Radio, the
National Hockey League, the PGA Tour, the US Open Golf Tournament and college football and
basketball games for major conferences including the Pac 10, Big 10 and Atlantic Coast
Conference (ACC).
Local weather and traffic conditions for 21 major metropolitan markets plus several interstate
corridors nationwide
Children’s programming such as Radio Disney and XM Kids
Commercial free music of virtually every genre and decade including: Jazz, hip-hop, classical,
rock, Christian, urban, and country as well as music from various decades
Original programming hosted by music legends such as Bob Dylan, Quincy Jones, and Snoop
Dogg and live performances by major artists such as Coldplay, Lenny Kravitz, and Willie Nelson
and from venues such as Jazz at the Lincoln Center
Women’s programming such as Ellen DeGeneres, Take 5, and most recently, Oprah & Friends
Hispanic programming such as music, sports, and CNN en Español
In addition to the wide range of programming, satellite radio makes the same stations available from coast
to coast which is a major advantage over the relatively narrow geographic coverage of
