# Sirius will start NFL broadcasts in 2004



## John Corn (Mar 21, 2002)

Sirius satellite radio will broadcast NFL games for the next seven years under an agreement reached with the league.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1687530


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

Jeez, Am I cursed?

Both of my Satellite providers, XM and E* can't get me all the football I want.

Oh, well. Might be time to snap up that Sirius stock. It should start catching up to XM now with this announcement. It had been lagging as XM gobbled up an 80% market share.


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## SamC (Jan 20, 2003)

This would be for the zero point three percent of people who:
1 - don't have a TV
2 - follow the NFL closely
3 - live outside the (generally large, since sports tend to be on clear channel (small c, small c) AM stations) range of the teams they follow
and
4 - have a sat radio.

Don't see how this is a big deal at all.


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## FTA Michael (Jul 21, 2002)

The tiny AP story says Sirius will create a dedicated NFL network "carrying league news and features 24 hours a day." And it says Sirius will carry "all" NFL regular season games, along with some preseason and playoffs.

1) When I'm driving cross country, there's nothing I like more than a ballgame on the radio. Sirius has quite a few; XM has barely a few.

2) If carrying all games means broadcasting every game on about 10 channels, then this could be a cheap way to get distant home team games. Chiefs fans could listen to satellite instead of flying in to hear the FM flagship station, for example.

If Sirius tops this with a dedicated major league baseball channel, I'll have my XM equipment on eBay within a week.


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

I love Cinemagic and UPop, but I would give them up so that I could hear my NY Giants games when I am driving back from the inlaws in a NJ suburb of Philadelphia, a trip I make about once a month. I do a lot of travelling on Sundays and this would be useful. 

The SkyFi was the main reason I went with XM.... A big readable display that I could carry to my house as well. Well, Sirius figured THAT out, so now they have an Audiovox model that looks like a knockoff of the SkyFi AND is also portable that can be taken into the house.

Meanwhile, Alpine just released an indash CD Receiver that has XM built in (but the display is probably still relatively small).

Either way, I just sold some MBNA stock from my son's custodial account that has been stuck in neutral for two years ($1000 worth of stock in one place for 22 months and I lost $7) and bought $500 each of XM and Sirius as I think there will be room for both. Every week I go to Best Buy and there is a huge crowd around the Satellite radio display for both of them. XM has gone from $2 to $22 a share in a year (Dang, I knew it was gonna do well), while Sirius has gone from 50 cents to $2 a share in the last 8 months. This NFL announcement should finally give Sirius that push they needed as XM current has an 80% market share.


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## bills976 (Jun 30, 2002)

Yeah, this is pretty big for Sirius. While Sirius may cost more, you have far fewer commercials and now the added bonus of accessing NFL games. If I could get MLB games on satellite radio, I might consider it for my dorm room since I can't get the Yankee broadcasts on the radio (or for that matter on television since RPI is cheap with such things). In any event, this is definitely big news for Sirius since it'll give them something exclusive that XM can't get their hands on.


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## AZjoe1 (Jun 17, 2002)

Anyone you thinks the NFL doesnt have a large, dedicated following is living in a closet. If XM had landed this(and they tried), all these people who think this isnt a big thing, would be exclaiming the huge significance of it.


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

I think this was a mistake on XM's part. They could have accelerated their growth with this NFL package, now they just let a competitor who was on the mat get up and get their second wind.

Last week, I would have told anyone to stay away from Sirius stock as I didn't think they would survive long term. Yesterday, I bought $500 worth of shares as I think they will become the satellite radio home for DirecTV sports fans. If I had more disposable income, I would have bought more.


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## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

Is there going to be an extra charge, like NFL Sunday Ticket, for this or is it part of the package. If it were, oh say, $50 for the season would you guys jump on it? Where would your cut off point be on extra charges? I am also a shareholder in both (as well as Dish and GMH).


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

Woo hoo. Sirius just passed $3.16 a share. You gotta love a stock that goes up 40% in two weeks.

Don't know about the cost but I'm sure it willbe a premium channel. I doubt they can absorb that much cost without passing it on.


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## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

I am in on Sirius at $2.16 and $2.31. Not bad at all if it can just keep on going.


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## Rojma (Jan 6, 2004)

There will no extra premium charge for the NFL games. It will be included with the standard monthly fee.

One month ago I bough an XM radio, but after reviewing the Sirius lineup, I determined that I liked their lineup better . I returned my XM radio and went with Sirius instead, even though I had reservations about wether or not Sirius would survive. The XM service was very good, but I just felt that Sirius was more in line with my music tastes.

I am so happy now that I did go with Sirius now that they have the NFL package!!!  

I think the NFL package will "save" Sirius and greatly increase their subscriber base. I disagree with the comment that "this is not a big deal at all" and would only affect "0.3% of people". You obviously have no understanding of how big the NFL is. This will be a cheaper alternative to receiving out of region NFL games (vs DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket). In addition, for those who travel a lot on Sundays (as I do traveling back and forth between Orlando and Miami on the weekends), this will be a great way to hear the games while on the road without losing the signal halfway through the game.

I definetly think that this will not only push a lot of people towards Sirius, but will actually also make some people switch from XM to Sirius.


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

How do you find the music mix on Sirius? Most I have talked to have said that Sirius plays more known songs, while XM likes to focus on an eclectic mix that also includes long forgotten songs (which appeals to me)

I admit that I hated that XM failed to get the NFL feed (and I'm shocked that Sirius is giving it away with the regular subscription... unless they are planning on raising everyones' rate to pay for it, it makes Sirius ability to cover its costs difficult).

Now for the REAL Xmas wishlist for 2004. A universal player that will play BOTH services. THAT would solve the problem. I'd pay $24 a month for that in a heartbeat.


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## Rojma (Jan 6, 2004)

I would think that the expected increase in subscriber base due to the NFL contract would pay for it.


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