Sirius XM Announces Mercedes Deal and Coverage of British Open
In something reminiscent of 2005 and 2006, Sirius XM put two announcements across the news wires in one day. Specifically, the company announced comprehensive coverage of the British Open, as well as a new deal with Mercedes Benz that promises 100% penetration on all Sirius equipped certified preowned Mercedes Benz vehicles.
Golf fans will be happy to know that the 138th British Open Championship will be broadcast live this Thursday, July 16, through Sunday, July 19, on XM channel 146 and on SIRIUS channel 209 with the “Best of XM” programming package. The news is not only being issued by Sirius XM, but on the PGA website as well.
The company has made a point of highlighting crossover content that demonstrates why existing subscribers would want to receive the “Best Of” programming packages. In this case, because the PGA deal was an XM deal, only Sirius subscribers that get the “Best Of XM” package will get to hear every drive, pitch and putt of the famed British Open.
SIRIUS XM’s T.J. Rives, Brian Katrek, Bob Stevens and Earl Forcey will provide listeners with live hole-by-hole coverage of the Open Championship from The Ailsa Course in Turnberry, Scotland as well as live updates. Tee off time coverage will begin Thursday and Friday at 3:00 am ET and Saturday and Sunday at 4:00 am ET and will continue until the conclusion of each day’s play. The company states, “In all, listeners will have access to more than 45 hours of live play-by-play from Thursday through Sunday plus comprehensive replays that will cover all the day’s highlights and the performances of the tournament leaders.”
While golf fans celebrate that news, investors will be keen on the latest OEM news. Sirius XM and Mercedes Benz announcement not only involves the announcement that all Sirius equipped preowned vehicles will come with a trial period, but that 100% penetration on all Mercedes Benz vehicles will continue for the 2010 model year.
For the certified preowned program, consumers will get a three month trial of the “Sirius Everything” package. Buyers of a new Mercedes Benz are treated to a six month trial. The overall take rate in the OEM channel is currently about 45%. The sales of Mercedes Benz vehicles are not as high as other brands, but the demographic of a typical Mercedes Benz buyer fits well with a service such as satellite radio.
Given the fact that Mercedes Benz has carried a very high penetration rate for a couple of years, the certified preowned program provides a good deal of promise in getting Sirius XM exposed to new consumers. The certified preowned programs also serve as a tool for the company to try to get a second chance with a radio that has already been subsidized.
Watch for the company to continue to update and work with many OEM’s on their certified prowned offerings, as the auto channel has become very used car centered in this economic climate.
Position – Long Sirius XM
BFD
Completely meaningless.
Golf is boring to watch and we’re supposed to be excited about listening to it?
You don’t have to do anything, jerk. You just keep pulling your putter and shut up. If we want to hear from you we’ll pull down the zipper.
Wow, words of wisdom from someone who is as sharp as a greased marble.
LOL! Classic. Be careful though Geronimo….that zipper thing might be just what boo boo wants.
Never met a stanger looking to pick up a game of golf that I didnt like.I might make that exeption in your case- But, that is be determined.
Golfers are genuine people who play by the rules and usually by people that have a fair deal of spending capital-so why not cater to them-they will buy subsciptions to sirius.
Golf is a timeless ,traditional game a game of gentleman.
People who subscribe to sirius might actually want to have it because they are British and listen to the BBC.
Mr Booey,I entirely agree with Charle’s assesment yesterday of your comments.
May I suggest in the meantime another web site for you to vent- and futher suggest to you that shuffleboard is being played on the lido deck in 15 min.
Yes, it’s great to see SIRI tucking it’s chin under and marching forward through the driving rain. Each step will get us closer to those sunny lands. SIRI gets another ‘A’ for effort.
Tyler; thank you for sharing your knowledge through this trying time. I’m always learning from your site.
This is big news. boo boo may not see it but people who by Mercedes are the type that will spring for the renewal on sat radio and want to hear news and sports content while they are in their vehicles. Another step forward.
Exactly, the person that can afford a Mercedes will have siri/xm in their new car. Not everyone is suffering during this economy. Boo Boo the clown is clueless. It’s hard for him, on a lawn maintenance workers income to grasp this concept.
These are the things that differentiate Sirius XM from other “Music only” Services. While I’m no Golf Fan, Sirius XM has the depth to provide niche content for all types. I love it! No one else is doing it. I can’t wait for Sirius XM to be in a better financial position to do more mainstream market again.
with 20 million cars out there with Sirius XM NOT activated, this market is huge. I’m glad to see they are starting to focus on it.
Also, I’d love to see them send stickers that people could place on their car. I remember (back in the day), a So Cal radio station had branded bumper stickers with the name of rock groups on them. Sirius XM should be all over this. Stickers like “Howard”, “E-Street”, Margaritaville”, “Classic Vinal”, and other Sirius XM buzz words would be huge!
Personal experience. I have a local football team in town. I couldnt figure out which local station they keep moving too every year. So I said screw it, and turned it on through my good old sat. radio. Same with golf. Who has time to figure out where on my business trip the local station is covering it for 2 hours a day. Sports coverage is the best, and you can listen to it anywhere in the country ON THE SAME STATION. Simple things that older consumers will grow to like.
With each passing announcement SiriusXM becomes a more formidable company. There are things that need to be done, like the OEM contracts, which will continue to improve the bottom line. At this point the contracts are getting friendlier with all of the car manufacturers. Which car company has the ability to ignore SiriusXM? None is the answer. It has become a staple for many who purchase autos and it is beginning to creep into the used car markets as well. The company has reduced its royalty fees by half with the merger along with many other cost cutting initiatives. The royalty hike is a great way to increase extra revenue and the debt is pushed out until the economy begins to hit more positive milestones. For all the negative posters, Sirius is here to stay. It will be very interesting to see just how much work has been done in these areas come time for the conference call. Although subs will be down, the cash flow will be positive. I don’t see the subs being down significantly either. Most that quit the service did so when the economy was really in the tank 6 months ago. If they haven’t left yet, chances are they are not going to leave now as we are through the worst of this downturn. Better days lie ahead for SiriusXM. Remember just how bad regular radio is and it is obvious that SatRad is the way of the future. In time all radio that is worth listening to will come with a price. Sirius is just ahead of the curve in this area.
Long SiriusXM
What color is the sky in your world?
SIRI is a perpetual penny stock and NOTHING has happened to change that.
Bah Bah your NAB wolf in sheeps clothing.
“In this case, because the PGA deal was an XM deal, only Sirius subscribers that get the “Best Of XM” package will get to hear every drive, pitch and put of the famed British Open.”
putt has two Ts
yikes. You are correct. Thank you for catching the typo, as well as your readership.