For those of us who have questioned our decision from time to time to go with XM over Sirius, this is great news.
Associated Press
NEW YORK -- XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. is raising the ante in its programming battle with rival Sirius Satellite Radio Inc., signing an 11-year programming deal with Major League Baseball, a person familiar with the matter said late Tuesday.
The deal would put baseball games for every major league team on XM's service beginning next year, according to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The story was first reported in The Sports Business Daily, a newspaper published by Street & Smith's Sports Group.
Officials from both Major League Baseball and XM declined to comment, but MLB notified reporters late Tuesday that baseball commissioner Bud Selig would have a news conference Wednesday morning with Hugh Panero, the CEO of XM Satellite Radio.
The deal would be worth $470 million in cash over eight years, with Major League Baseball having the option to extend the arrangement by up to three additional years at $60 million per year. That would make the deal potentially worth up to $650 million.
The back-to-back deals highlight the mounting competition between XM and Sirius, both of which are spending heavily on programming in an effort to attract new subscribers.
Washington-based XM is currently leading the way with 2.5 million subscribers to its pay service, while Sirius announced Tuesday that its subscription list has exceeded 700,000. Sirius, based in New York, said it is on track to reach 1 million subscribers by the end of the year.
Originally posted by Red Dog
Sirius still has the edge IMO with Stern + NFL
No doubt. Plus, XM will almost certainly make MLB a premium like they did with O&A while Sirius's NFL coverage remains a part of their regular line-up. But after having spent the money on XM and accessories, it's nice to see them finally snag a big deal. It seemed like they were sitting on their hands while Sirius snatched every available contract out there.
Deftones
10-20-04, 11:09 AM
I hate this. I am most likely going to get Sirius b/c of Stern since I already have a ready deck. I'd love to listen to more games in the car, but now I won't be able to. :(
twikoff
10-20-04, 11:15 AM
sweet :up:
this and having the ACC/PAC10/BIG10 wrapped up for football, basketball, baseball, etc.... really is nice
too bad the SEC hasnt jumped on board yet :mad:
wmansir
10-20-04, 11:38 AM
Sirius still has the upper hand with NFL, NHL and NBA, plus Stern, but this is still a big score for XM. Baseball is more radio friendly than any other pro-sport and there is just a huge amount of programming each season.
Of course, I don't think Sirius could have afforded an MLB contract regardless. Stern will cost $100mil a year for 5 years. The NFL contract alone will cost an average $31mil a year for the next 7 years. The NHL and NBA contracts are probably similarly expensive. Sirius has already lost $1Bil in the last 5 years, and currently has $14mil a year in revenue.
nevermind
10-20-04, 11:38 AM
Cool!
wildcatlh
10-20-04, 01:04 PM
Yay!
This is why I'm glad to have XM.
As for Sirius, even though they have NFL and Stern, it's a wonder of how long they can survive. XM has about 4x the userbase of Sirius right now.
twikoff
10-20-04, 01:18 PM
Originally posted by wmansir
Sirius still has the upper hand with NFL, NHL and NBA, plus Stern, but this is still a big score for XM. Baseball is more radio friendly than any other pro-sport and there is just a huge amount of programming each season.
Of course, I don't think Sirius could have afforded an MLB contract regardless. Stern will cost $100mil a year for 5 years. The NFL contract alone will cost an average $31mil a year for the next 7 years. The NHL and NBA contracts are probably similarly expensive. Sirius has already lost $1Bil in the last 5 years, and currently has $14mil a year in revenue.
nhl is questionable at best
and didnt sirius lose the nba? Im pretty sure they did.. and they no longer list it in the sport section of their site. now its back to getting it through espn radio (both xm and sirius)..
so what they really have.. is the nfl and a handful of college teams..
although espn radio and espn news does a really good job of keeping you up on all the scores and action as they happen during nfl games on XM.. you dont get play by play, but you definitly stay up to date very easily.
while xm now has mlb and 3 full college conferences so far
lookslikeme
10-20-04, 01:18 PM
Originally posted by Mad Dawg
No doubt. Plus, XM will almost certainly make MLB a premium like they did with O&A while Sirius's NFL coverage remains a part of their regular line-up. But after having spent the money on XM and accessories, it's nice to see them finally snag a big deal. It seemed like they were sitting on their hands while Sirius snatched every available contract out there.
I doubt they'll make this a premium. They didn't make the College programming premium channels.
lookslikeme
10-20-04, 01:23 PM
Just pulled this quote from the XMRadio.com press release...
Major League Baseball is included as part of XM's basic monthly service plan.
That answers the question for now.
twikoff
10-20-04, 01:24 PM
yea.. i didnt see any way they were going to charge extra for this
good to see it verified :up:
Mad Dawg
10-20-04, 01:46 PM
Originally posted by lookslikeme
Just pulled this quote from the XMRadio.com press release...
Major League Baseball is included as part of XM's basic monthly service plan.
That answers the question for now.
:banana:
moorehed
10-20-04, 01:51 PM
kinda pisses me off that they aren't all on ONE. i would probably sign up if one service provided me all of the sports radio. i would want both, and coudln't justify buying 2 sat radios...
although i guess if there were only one provider we probably would have none.
B.A.
10-20-04, 02:00 PM
So are they using the local market's radio feed? Will Cards' fans be able to listen to KMOX's broadcast?
nevermind
10-20-04, 04:09 PM
Originally posted by moorehed
although i guess if there were only one provider we probably would have none.
and the one provider wouldn't improve, but prices would surely go up.
We win when there's competition, even if I don't get some stuff I'd want that sirius has.
Deftones
10-20-04, 04:12 PM
Too bad they can't come to some kind of deal to provide the feeds to both Sirius and XM.
Hopefully after this contract ends, we will see that happen.
I guess, in the Stern thread in Other, someone mentioned that one day there will be decks that are XM and Sirius ready so you can choose. That would be nice, although I don't know how much creedence to put into that.
twikoff
10-20-04, 05:46 PM
that was me that mentioned it
one day, during an arguement in xmfan, i read WAY too much information about xm's contract with the fcc
so really.. i have waayyy too much knowledge of this crap now
anyways.... basically they had to say that they were working on developing a receiver that could get both.. in order to secure a section of the sband used for satellite radio (shared by xm and sirius)... but they also said it would take a LONG time to develop this product... which of course is bullshit.. so basically they were just giving the lip service necessary to get their contract.. i doubt we will see a legal product that gets both signals.. and if we ever see one, you will still most likely have to pay for both seperately
aintnosin
10-20-04, 06:01 PM
Originally posted by twikoff
anyways.... basically they had to say that they were working on developing a receiver that could get both.. in order to secure a section of the sband used for satellite radio (shared by xm and sirius)... but they also said it would take a LONG time to develop this product... which of course is bullshit.. so basically they were just giving the lip service necessary to get their contract.. i doubt we will see a legal product that gets both signals.. and if we ever see one, you will still most likely have to pay for both seperately At least until XM buys out Sirius.
twikoff
10-20-04, 06:02 PM
Originally posted by aintnosin
At least until XM buys out Sirius.
i dont think there is much risk of this ever happening.. or sirius going out of business.. they have a very solid business model, and are growing pretty well
they got a late jump on the market, but they have more than made their foothold
Deftones
10-20-04, 06:05 PM
Originally posted by twikoff
i dont think there is much risk of this ever happening.. or sirius going out of business.. they have a very solid business model, and are growing pretty well
they got a late jump on the market, but they have more than made their foothold
Agreed. And it can only get bigger w/ the exclusivity of the NFL, Nascar and now Howard Stern.
twikoff
10-20-04, 06:08 PM
neither one will go away
and i doubt either one will ever pull away as *better* than the other
we will always be torn, because both of them are fighting for the same market shares...
you cant go wrong with either one of them
but.. you also cant go right!
ugh.. i guess its the grass is always greener idea..
now.. just wait for microsoft or aol tw to decide they want in the sat radio business, and see if sirius nibbles :lol:
BigDaddy
10-20-04, 06:09 PM
In the new crutchfield all the new Alpine are ready for both xm and sirius. Not sure if you can do both at the same time but with the new iPod controll as well I am tempted.
twikoff
10-20-04, 06:14 PM
i believe alpine does XM controls.. i didnt think they did sirius.
the guys have been big on keeping these seperate..
pioneer does XM
kenwood does sirius
sony does XM
clarion does sirius
xm and sirius have been fighting to sign the receiver manufacturers.. I believe they have tight contracts on this..
same with car manufacturers.. XM has a pretty large list of new cars that they will be included in.. sirius is slowing starting to join that market as well
twikoff
10-20-04, 06:16 PM
you got me interested.. so i went to alpine to look at their latest products
i cant find anything with sirius controls.. all have XM controls.. and they even have an XM section on their webpage
Originally posted by Deftones, Esq
Agreed. And it can only get bigger w/ the exclusivity of the NFL, Nascar and now Howard Stern.
You might want to check your sources, Partner. XM, not Sirius, has NASCAR.
pedagogue
10-20-04, 07:58 PM
I'm not a huge Howard fan, but NFL on the radio...very cool. MAYBE in my next car I'll get Sirius.
MLB is nice on the radio, but not a deal maker.
-pedagogue
Daryl
10-20-04, 08:55 PM
Originally posted by twikoff
you got me interested.. so i went to alpine to look at their latest products
i cant find anything with sirius controls.. all have XM controls.. and they even have an XM section on their webpage
Weird. According to Crutchfield, these Alpine models are both XM- and Sirius-ready:
CDA-9825
CDA-9826
CDA-9827
CDA-9830
CDA-9831
CDA-9833
CDA-9835
and for you big ballers out there:
the IVA-D300 (although I prefer my Pioneer AVIC-N1 ;))
Also, according to Crutchfield, Kenwood has a number of head units that are "both" (although technically I believe it's "one or the other")
BigDaddy
10-21-04, 07:52 AM
Off the Alpine site.
The CDA-9830 is a high-power, SwingFace head unit with a wide range of sound personalization functions that Alpine calls Bass Engine Plus. You get 4-channel digital time correction, 4-band parametric EQ and more. Easy to use, too- the Menu key, Quick Search keys and rotary knob let you choose functions and find what you want to listen to fast.
This unit is SAT Radio Ready, giving you a much greater choice of listening options than ordinary local AM/FM radio. You can select from among a wide range of music genres, news, sports, and talk programs with digital quality, coast to coast.
About Sat Radio Ready:
You can choose between Sirius Satellite Radio or XM Satellite Radio. SAT Radio Ready units require optional receiver box, antenna, adaptor cables, and subscription for service. To find out more about subscribing or available channels visit http://www.sirius.com or http://www.xmradio.com
twikoff
10-21-04, 07:57 AM
hmmmm
interesting
well.. with if that works... you could just have a tuner for each hooked up.. and change services depending on what season it is (nfl or mlb ;) )
twikoff
10-21-04, 08:00 AM
Originally posted by lookslikeme
You might want to check your sources, Partner. XM, not Sirius, has NASCAR.
yea.. i was wondering about that too..
sirius - nfl, nhl (if it returns) & handful of college teams
xm - mlb, nascar, acc/pac10/big10
and both of them have espn radio and espn news.. but xm also has sporting news and fox sports..
sirius has 8 sports stations.
xm has 15 (before adding mlb).. i assume mlb will be at least 3-5 stations, so that should bump it to 18-20 sports channels
twikoff
10-21-04, 08:05 AM
was just reading through the release:
Every Team. All Season Long.
The game that was born on radio joins the next generation of radio. XM Satellite Radio is the official satellite radio service of Major League Baseball.
Starting with the 2005 preseason, you'll hear live, play-by-play game broadcasts from every MLB team. All season long, from Spring Training through the World Series. Whether you're stuck in game day traffic, or you've moved away from your home team, with XM's nationwide MLB coverage you'll never miss a game.
XM will also broadcast select MLB games in Spanish.
Major League Baseball is included as part of XM's basic monthly service plan.
In addition to broadcasting live games, XM will create a 24/7 Major League Baseball channel featuring original content and classic Major League Baseball game broadcasts.
so when there arent any games on.. they will still have a channel decicated to baseball.. that will even air some of the classic games :up:
kantonburg
10-21-04, 09:15 AM
Very cool. I have to say that MLB is by far the best to listen to on the radio.
twikoff
10-21-04, 09:57 AM
Originally posted by kantonburg
Very cool. I have to say that MLB is by far the best to listen to on the radio.
not to mention there are games on 7 days a week, starting in the afternoon and running late into the night... for over 7 months (more if you count spring training).. as opposed to overlapping games 1 day a week, and then the monday night game....
Im excited that Ill be able to listen to all the day games here at work :up:
MikeBunting
10-21-04, 02:26 PM
Yeah, I agree that this isn't as huge a deal (like NFL or Stern) for XM.
Baseball is about 162 games of nothing....only the playoffs would be worth it to me (and I'm a huge baseball fan).
With the NFL you only have 16 games and each one is pretty important in the whole scheme of things...
Deftones
10-21-04, 02:48 PM
Originally posted by MikeBunting
Yeah, I agree that this isn't as huge a deal (like NFL or Stern) for XM.
Baseball is about 162 games of nothing....only the playoffs would be worth it to me (and I'm a huge baseball fan).
With the NFL you only have 16 games and each one is pretty important in the whole scheme of things...
Funny how if you break down the numbers:
$650 million for 11 years for MLB = $59 million a year
$230 million for 7 years of NFL = about $33 million a year
Granted, the MLB season goes longer and has more games, but traditionally the NFL trumps MLB in any deal involving broadcast rights. Way to go MLB. :up:
Deftones
10-21-04, 02:49 PM
Originally posted by lookslikeme
You might want to check your sources, Partner. XM, not Sirius, has NASCAR.
Ok, Partner. It was a simple mistake. I got the NHL and Nascar mixed up.
AndyCapps
10-21-04, 04:20 PM
Originally posted by chrisih8u
Im still not going to pay for radio.
Me neither. But if I ever change my mind, XM just made my decision on which one I'd choose easier.
FantasticVSDoom
10-21-04, 04:29 PM
Damn tough decision here...Because I think Stern will get a whole lot better on Sirius...But the Baseball and ACC football on XM has me drooling now too. Im getting one this Christmas, still havent decided yet.
twikoff
10-21-04, 06:10 PM
Originally posted by MikeBunting
Yeah, I agree that this isn't as huge a deal (like NFL or Stern) for XM.
Baseball is about 162 games of nothing....only the playoffs would be worth it to me (and I'm a huge baseball fan).
With the NFL you only have 16 games and each one is pretty important in the whole scheme of things...
:lol:
what a joke
you say your a huge baseball fan.. but dont care anything about the regular season
and you think the regular season has some sort of meaning in the nfl, despite the fact you can lose half your games and still make the playoffs
rotfl
mlb is a HUGE deal for xm.. MUCH bigger than stern.. and about the same as the NFL..
with NFL.. your basically talking about 1 day a week worth of coverage.. and MOST football fans are going to be around to watch those games on TV.
with baseball.. its impossible to try and watch all the games because they are on every single day and most of the day..
so its a MUCH bigger benefit to be able to catch those games on the radio while at work or in the car.
kantonburg
10-21-04, 08:17 PM
I bet the XM subscribers in Cubs territory just LOVE this deal.
FantasticVSDoom
10-21-04, 09:31 PM
Originally posted by twikoff
:lol:
what a joke
you say your a huge baseball fan.. but dont care anything about the regular season
and you think the regular season has some sort of meaning in the nfl, despite the fact you can lose half your games and still make the playoffs
rotfl
mlb is a HUGE deal for xm.. MUCH bigger than stern.. and about the same as the NFL..
with NFL.. your basically talking about 1 day a week worth of coverage.. and MOST football fans are going to be around to watch those games on TV.
with baseball.. its impossible to try and watch all the games because they are on every single day and most of the day..
so its a MUCH bigger benefit to be able to catch those games on the radio while at work or in the car.
Not to mention the number of fans that live out of their favorite team's market...I want to be able to at least listen to the Sox and Seminoles and being in NY I dont get to do that too much.I just made up my mind. Thanks Twikoff. Im going with XM. :)
twikoff
10-21-04, 09:54 PM
good idea
then you can still keep up with the game while trading spaces is on :up:
;)
FantasticVSDoom
10-21-04, 09:58 PM
Originally posted by twikoff
good idea
then you can still keep up with the game while trading spaces is on :up:
;)
:lol: One little comment thats going to haunt me forever... Teaches me to be open and honest to everyone here. (*runs A-Rod like out of the thread to the corner crying)
kvrdave
10-23-04, 05:05 PM
I have sirius, and would think that MLB is a better deal than the NFL for radio. I'm not even much of a baseball fan. But it is pretty rare that I am driving a lot on a Sunday simply because it is football day. I have listened to the games once on a trip back from the beach. I don't think the NFL is a huge draw...and I live for football.
I can't even imagine NASCAR on the radio :lol: I imagine it is nearly as good as a track meet on the radio.
kenbuzz
10-25-04, 10:04 AM
Originally posted by B.A.
So are they using the local market's radio feed? Will Cards' fans be able to listen to KMOX's broadcast?
It's too early to know which feed they'd use for each team, but there's no reason to expect they would invent a "new" feed. I would expect that they'd just rebroadcast the existing local market feed.
Also remember, each game is being broadcast on terrestrial radio by both the home and visiting teams' networks. It is highly unlikely that XM would broadcast two feeds for one game, so while I would bet that the KMOX feed would be used for Cardinal games, they would only use that feed for no more than half of the games.
Buy: