SIRIUS XM gains only 83,000 new subs in 4th quarter 08

Vargas

Molon Labe!
Oct 16, 2008
3,426
153
63
Western, PA
Saw this posted on Orbitcast and this is not good. While I believe that the deck was very stacked against them during the 4th quarter due to bad holiday shopping, economic collapse, Auto Industry failing, channel lineup that was handled poorly and probably resulted in cancelations, etc but still, ONly 83,000.

Clearly, with the auto industry being in trouble for a LONG TIME, they need to put a new focus on retail with places like Best Buy, Wal Mart, etc.

Plus, with really no new radios for over 1.5 years they really need to come out with some new designs with new features, new portables, new accessories, etc.

I would love to hear TSS's opinion on this as they are probably a large retailer for Sirius.

Your thoughts.

Here is the orbitcast link:

Sirius XM Subscribers: Only 83,000 subscribers added in Q4 - Orbitcast
 

Ehilbert1

Ooh-Rah!!!!
Oct 13, 2008
4,480
1,220
113
Columbus, OH
I thought that was pretty good considering.......... A lot of people thought they were going bankrupt and the stock price being pure shit doesn't help. I bet they will be ok now. I still have faith. Would you go a buy a radio if you thought they wouldn't be a around in a few monthes??? I wouldn't.
 

JayDizz

Member
Jan 3, 2009
59
1
8
I agree. I was glad to at least see that many. The numbers for 1Q09 won't look stellar either but I think that things will eventually get going again.
 

Vargas

Molon Labe!
Oct 16, 2008
3,426
153
63
Western, PA
I would think that most people weren't really aware of the near bankrupcy, the debt, etc.

I think a lot of this has to do with the poor auto sales but to go about 1.5 years without anything NEW, they need to energize the consumer.

Give me a new radio.
 

JoeTan

Well-Known Member
Oct 14, 2008
1,425
26
48
I would think that most people weren't really aware of the near bankrupcy, the debt, etc.

I think a lot of this has to do with the poor auto sales but to go about 1.5 years without anything NEW, they need to energize the consumer.

Give me a new radio.

You got that right jack. We have what 4 to choose from???
 

Supafly

Member
Oct 12, 2008
179
7
18
sirius-xm-quarterly-net-subscribers.gif


The gross subscriber additions weren't down as dramatically which means there were a lot of defections. The effects of the major publicity over the latest bankruptcy scare won't show up until the 1st quarter numbers come out.

I'm adding a $15 dollar 3G data plan to my phone to try out for a month. If streaming music works well enough, I'm dropping satellite radio.
 

JoeTan

Well-Known Member
Oct 14, 2008
1,425
26
48
Only comcast has more paying subscribers.

Not too worried. They may raise the price a little but Sirius is going no where.
 

Vols44

Well-Known Member
Oct 18, 2008
1,228
143
63
It seems to me that any growth in this economy is a plus. Hey, at least we didn't go backward.

+1

Hardware isn't cheap, accessories aren't either. Now that Liberty media has quelled the financing woes I look for increased subs in the first quarter. The trick is cutting costs without sacrificing revenue streams. Nobody said this was going to be easy.
 

SISO

Member
Oct 11, 2008
306
11
18
That's truly truly abysmal. 1Q numbers are obviously going to be worse.

Adding that few subs just isn't going to cut it.
 

TheScionicMan

Last non-Hating Stern Fan
Oct 11, 2008
2,171
93
48
one report I read said their sub count increased 10% for the year. Not bad considering what they've gone thru...
 

Dark Star

Member
Nov 2, 2008
48
1
8
I would think that most people weren't really aware of the near bankrupcy, the debt, etc.


I have to disagree. It seemed that any news of satellite radio was followed with word of a potential bankruptcy, if not from the media then from people who may have told a potential buyer to stay away for now.

Personally the numbers look pretty damn good when you factor everything that SiriusXM had against it.
 

Steel Cranium

Well-Known Member
Nov 12, 2008
1,004
49
48
NorthEast Ohio
+1

Hardware isn't cheap, accessories aren't either. Now that Liberty media has quelled the financing woes I look for increased subs in the first quarter. The trick is cutting costs without sacrificing revenue streams. Nobody said this was going to be easy.

January 2011 is a big date. Stern's contract is up in a little less than two years. If he leaves at the contract end, there will be a big drop in subs. If they can keep him, it will probably require big $$$'s. Hopefully, Howard gives them a "hometown discount" the next time around. Even if he moves to the afternoons, it will be better than leaving. If he leaves and goes to internet/podcast, it will be hard to keep folks interested in SIRIXM only on music offerings.
 

siriusdude

Member
Nov 19, 2008
54
1
8
January 2011 is a big date. Stern's contract is up in a little less than two years. If he leaves at the contract end, there will be a big drop in subs. If they can keep him, it will probably require big $$$'s. Hopefully, Howard gives them a "hometown discount" the next time around. Even if he moves to the afternoons, it will be better than leaving. If he leaves and goes to internet/podcast, it will be hard to keep folks interested in SIRIXM only on music offerings.

While I agree some will leave Sirius/XM if Stern leave when his contract is up others will remain. I for one who do not have Sirius for Stern. I haven't listened to him once since I got Sirius and probably never will. If he leaves it won't affect me one iota.
 

TheScionicMan

Last non-Hating Stern Fan
Oct 11, 2008
2,171
93
48
If he leaves it won't affect me one iota.


Unless enough people leave that it impacts the viability of SatRad. Hopefully they are doing some forward planning to re-sign Howard or looking at possible replacements, cuz we saw how well that went over at FM radio...
 
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Hatuxka

New Member
Dec 1, 2008
24
1
3
maybe a good number of people had both XM and Sirius units, as I did and then after the merger, cancelled the redundant units. I kept my Sirius receivers, kept one XM unit, adding best of Sirius to it and cancelled two XM units.