Sirius XM Goes Into Full Court Press With NBA
Sirius XM Radio just boosted the BEST OF programming option by adding the full NBA line-up. Whether you subscribe to Sirius or XM, you will now have access to the full NBA schedule this season. The announcement comes just one day prior to the beginning of the 2008-2009 NBA schedule.
In an announcement from the National Basketball Association and SIRIUS XM Radio we learned toady that satellite radio will deliver live NBA games to subscribers around the country throughout the 2008-09 season. The NBA and has been involved with satellite radio since 2003, when the NBA became the first major professional sports league to provide live games on SIRIUS.
SIRIUS XM broadcasts more live NBA games than any other radio outlet. Starting with the Opening Night games tomorrow, XM listeners will have access to more than 1,000 regular season games, plus every game of the NBA Playoffs and The Finals. For most SIRIUS listeners, select NBA games will be available through the “Best of XM” programming package.
“Since 2003 the NBA has been one of the premier programming elements on satellite radio,” said Steve Cohen, SIRIUS XM’s SVP of Sports Programming. “The merger of SIRIUS XM gives us the opportunity to deliver NBA games to more listeners than ever before. XM and SIRIUS subscribers from coast to coast will have access to live NBA action every night, from the tip-off of the regular season through every second of the playoffs.”
“As the first major professional sports league to provide live games on satellite radio, we have always embraced all forms of media to reach our fans, wherever they may consume our game,” said Danny Meiseles, Senior Vice President, Production, Programming, and Broadcasting, NBA. “Now with NBA games available to both XM and SIRIUS subscribers, even more fans will be able to follow our game throughout the season.”
Beginning tomorrow, XM and SIRIUS subscribers will have access to the Opening Night tripleheader featuring the reigning NBA Champion Boston Celtics hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers at 8:00 pm ET (XM channel 231, SIRIUS channel 215), plus the Milwaukee Bucks @ the Chicago Bulls at 8:30 pm ET (XM channel 232, SIRIUS channel 216) and the Portland Trailblazers @ the L.A. Lakers at 10:30 pm ET (XM channel 233, SIRIUS channel 217).
SIRIUS XM will utilize NBA team radio broadcasts to air regular season games from every NBA team. Throughout the regular season, SIRIUS XM will, in most cases, provide the home team’s local radio broadcast. During the NBA Playoffs and The Finals, home team, visiting team and national radio broadcasts will be offered.
For a schedule of upcoming NBA games on XM visit www.xmradio.com. For more information on adding “The Best of XM” channels to a SIRIUS subscription and a schedule of NBA games on SIRIUS visit www.sirius.com.
Position: Long SIRI, Proud Celtic Fan.
Was this not part of the initial best of?
Hi everyone! Looks like I’m back now. Whoopie.
How many see the brilliance of this NBA deal? Let me break it down. My guess would be that far more xm subs opted for the “best of” package.
Up until now, Sirius had been the home of the NBA. I’m guessing some NBA fans chose the Sirius service because of its NBA offering. They have now put it on XM and can can get 4.00 a month more for existing Sirius subs to get the NBA.
The FCC would not let them raise prices, but it looks like they have found another way to increase revenue!
Brilliant! Like putting beer in a bottle!
Brandon, I don’t get it. Didn’t Sirius already have the NBA? Why would you need the Best of XM if you wanted the NBA when it was already on. Please explain.
No MLB means this move has little or no bearing on drawing additional subscribers. Even if the MLB problem is not SiriusXM’s fault, why not come out and address the issue? Everything is too secretive.
Brandon,
I agree with your assessment of why they decided to make it an XM property, requiring an XM best of plan to get on Sirius receivers.
I thought the same when we first saw it being shown up as XM content, since they needed a way to even the playing field on the premium content each company holds.
Sirius – NFL, Nascar
XM – NBA, NHL, PGA
– no deal on MLB yet, but have until February/March to cut one, so for now the sports are about even without MLB – I think.
I had the NBA last year on my Sirius radio. Now I’m supposed to fork over $4 to get it back? This is what they call, for lack of a better term…..BULLSHIT.
Steve,
I understand your frustration.
There are many on the XM side who will benefit by this deal that would have had to pay, that do not now.
Steve,
The NBA contract with Sirius expired after last season. Sirius did not renew, and XM picked up the NBA. From a business perspective it was the right move to do.
SXMInvester,
Thanks for understanding my frustration; I only wish that Mel Karmazin had such empathy. We are all frustrated at this point, and why shouldn’t we be? We have been ignored, neglected, and dare I say FUCKING ABANDONED by the managment of this company!!! Their attitude towards the subscribers and shareholders is disgraceful. It is nothing short of BETRAYAL, and though I love satellite radio as much as anybody and will do anything within reason to help it survive, I don’t like being treated like a piece of SHIT. This is exactly what the “suits” at Sirius/XM are doing to the passionately loyal, not to mention incredibly PATIENT subscribers (and investors) who are the lifeblood of this service. I am more concerned with pissed off subs cancelling than I am of them going bankrupt. They are getting a little too cute with the pricing plans, the sneeky removal of channels(oops! You can have it back for $4), and de-contenting the channels oh so subtly. The last thing I want is to be paying for an imitation of AM/FM; I will cancel and so will millions of others. We aren’t the stupid slobs that listen to terrestrial; I pity those poor, ignorant glutons for punishment who tolerate the absolute shit that is broadcast on terrestrial radio.
Also, and I can’t speak for eveybody, but I have been pondering this philosophy, if you will; I am not so much concerned by the number of channels on the dial, but rather by the QUALITY of the channels. I, like most of the subscribers – and like people with cable TV – only listen to a fraction of all the channels on a regular basis. I want great content on my favorites, with deep playlists and NO repeated songs every few hours. If they have to pare down the number of channels, so be it. What they must not do is compromise the quality. Terrestrial radio ignores about 98% of the music that is out there – I want it all…. great music, eclectic music, hit music but more importantly NON HIT MUSIC. That’s what we are paying for, and that is what we WANT. The reason millions of people have abandoned terrestrial radio is because they stopped caring about the listener, and they basically try to appeal to the lowest common denominator. If Sirius/XM chooses to go down the same path – not caring about the listeners – they better be prepared to witness a mass exodus that will blow their minds!
I would think, with the stock below one dollar, if Karmazin cared at all for the shareholders he would be offering everything Sirius XM has to offer for $12.95 instead of trying to milk an extra four dollars out of a few people and making a large number of subscribers angry.
Is the news that the NBA will be offered on the “Best of XM” package the reason the stock went up 30%? I doubt it. Who is buying so many shares that it has caused the stock to double in two days. Who would buy shares of a company that is planning to do a reverse split of up to 50 to 1 and also plans to issue an additional 3.5 billion shares? At 38 cents, after the 50 to 1 reverse split you actually paid 19 dollars for each share. Also, after the company doubles the number of outstanding shares, it is safe to assume the price will be cut in half. So basically, those 38 cent shares are costing the buyer 38 dollars each.
So, I will ask the question again. Who is buying up all of these shares to cause the price to double in two days?
I don’t know about everyone else, but I am more than a little worried that this company is being stolen from us.
http://groups.google.com/group.....-investors
Am I to understand that SiriusXM does not have MLB signed for next year? I thought it was locked up for several years? Comments?
Tristan28,
Your opening comment(and what follows) sums things up perfectly!
Mel is all talk, but no walk. His coniving, steadfast refusal to give the subscribers what they want, what they need, and most importantly what they deserve is stagnating growth in terms of new subscriptions and is infuriating existing subscribers. You unveiled the secret to making subs go up; GIVE US EVERYTHIHG FOR $12.95 !!!!! These geniuses have managed to make things overly complicated, unnecessarily expensive, and piss off the loyal subscribers all at the same time. You talk about multi-tasking!
I have to wonder, at this point, if the current managment of this company will EVER do anything in terms of SATISFYING the customers. They have reneged on one promise after another, and I have to believe that if they continue to treat subscribers feelings with such blatant disregard, then they will get precisely what they deserve: CANCELLATIONS.
Tristan28, you made perfect sense and you broke it down so very succinctly; now only if it didn’t fall on deaf ears!
EVERYTHING. I can’t spell when I’m agitated