Sirius XM to raise price for basic package

[whitewolf8214]

Sirius XM to raise price for basic package
23 commentsSept. 14, 2011 03:30 PM
Associated Press
.

NEW YORK - Satellite radio company Sirius XM Radio Inc. is raising the price of its basic package for the first time on Jan. 1.

The price of basic service will go from $12.95 to $14.49 per month, Sirius said Wednesday. It hasn't raised that price since the service launched in 2002.

Sirius said earlier this year that it would raise prices for basic service, but it didn't say by how much. To get approval from federal regulators for its 2008 merger with XM Satellite Radio, it agreed not to raise prices for three years.

The company has raised prices on premium packages in the intervening years and said that it will "adjust" prices on many packages on Jan. 1.

"This is the first price increase on our basic service packages since the addition of the NFL, NASCAR, Howard Stern, Martha Stewart and many college sports to our programming line-up," CEO Mel Karmazin said in a statement.

Sirius had 21 million subscribers among all its services at the end of June. They pay an average of just over $11 per month, since many of them get free service for a limited time when they buy a car equipped with a satellite radio.

Helped by the price increase, Sirius XM now expects next year's revenue to grow 10 percent from this year to $3.3 billion. Analysts polled by FactSet are expecting $3.39 billion.

Shares of the New York-based company were up 12 cents, or 6.8 percent, at $1.80 in afternoon trading.



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[Scott Greczkowski]

"This is the first price increase on our basic service packages since the addition of the NFL, NASCAR, Howard Stern, Martha Stewart and many college sports to our programming line-up," CEO Mel Karmazin said in a statement.

This is utter BS...

How much has your bill gone up in the past 2 years?

 

[Islandguy43]

Well...it is obvious they will continue to play the threat of cancellation discount game all the more. I would never pay them $14-15 a month for service...but my deal of a year for $77....works for me.

 

[Davage]

Sirius XM to raise price for basic package
Helped by the price increase, Sirius XM now expects next year's revenue to grow 10 percent from this year to $3.3 billion. Analysts polled by FactSet are expecting $3.39 billion.

Not after a bunch of people cancel service, their revenues won't be growing by 10%. If I were to look into my crystal ball, I think that revenue will only grow by 5% due to the subscriber churn.

Lately I've been toying with the idea of cancelling.. Sure.. $2/month won't break me, but putting $156 + royalty fees and taxes back into my pocket each year is better.. I find that I'm listening more and more to MP3 CDs while I am on the road. The repetitive song lists on Sirius XM have been bugging me for a while. This just gives me the final bit of ammo I want to pull the trigger and cancel.

 

[DSpud]

well, i have two radios on 77 a year plan..they stop offering that, I am gone, its simple.

 

[Mr Tony]

This is utter BS...

How much has your bill gone up in the past 2 years?

they keep removing channels thats why...they also removed the streaming option for free too

 

[Bluemonick]

Have you ever tried to Cancel? Takes a minimum of 1 hour after many Rep upsells. I find it funny you can signup online but can't cancel online. Oh, just found out if you use a $50 prepaid card, you still need an active credit/debit on file anyway, so it's useless.

 

[DSpud]

Have you ever tried to Cancel? Takes a minimum of 1 hour after many Rep upsells. I find it funny you can signup online but can't cancel online. Oh, just found out if you use a $50 prepaid card, you still need an active credit/debit on file anyway, so it's useless.

They know they are one of the first services a person is going to cut in times of a money crunch. They have a pay service that provides mostly what you can easily get for free. That's why they require autopay and make you jump
Through hoops to cancel.

 

[Blindowl1234]

Sounds like time for me to cancel soon. I listen to mine in the car but the wife hardly ever listens in her car...just another thing that is going up in price that I could live without...Blind

 

[Rangers484]

Netflix sees 1M fewer subscribers after price hike - NYPOST.com

SiriusXM, meet Netflix.....

Expect the same type of subscriber drop if they raise prices.

 

[Juan]

Well...it is obvious they will continue to play the threat of cancellation discount game all the more. I would never pay them $14-15 a month for service...but my deal of a year for $77....works for me.

I got the $299 lifetime deal 7 years ago.....

 

[Juan]

What's their "basic package"? Is that the standard package of channels or the just music package?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I got the $299 lifetime deal 7 years ago.....

I got it to on one radio, but I am hearing that lifetime ends when they launch SiriusXM 2.0 early next year.

 

[satjay]

well, i have two radios on 77 a year plan..they stop offering that, I am gone, its simple.

Same here...once they stop giving the 77 plan on my vechicle for the year I am out as well

When I recently did a re-up on the wifes car for 38 dollars for six months, she said she is done after that (we will see though when six months come around

 

[Juan]

I got it to on one radio, but I am hearing that lifetime ends when they launch SiriusXM 2.0 early next year.

I heard SiriusXM 2 was going to be similar to Slacker and Pandora..in otherwords more of a streaming service that can be persoanalized..basically tied into cellular internet services rather than satellite (for cars)....Sirius XM 2.0 launching later this year, bringing on-demand Howard Stern to your car in 2013 -- Engadget I have seen the Chrysler 300 Sirius GPS/Live Traffic/Internet service that was pretty cool

 

[Islandguy43]

Once the discounted plans end...I will I will be out of there....I basically only listen to the Hockey Coverage...I can get alot of on my touchpad over the internet too.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I heard SiriusXM 2 was going to be similar to Slacker and Pandora..in otherwords more of a streaming service that can be persoanalized..basically tied into cellular internet services rather than satellite (for cars)....Sirius XM 2.0 launching later this year, bringing on-demand Howard Stern to your car in 2013 -- Engadget I have seen the Chrysler 300 Sirius GPS/Live Traffic/Internet service that was pretty cool

Nope its a lot more then that.

XMFan.com :: #1 Fan Site of Sirius XM Satellite Radio :: More details about SXM 2.0
XMFan.com :: #1 Fan Site of Sirius XM Satellite Radio :: SiriusXM Transitional Network Changes from 1.0 to 2.0

New radios will be needed to pick up all the new channels. Older radios will not get all the channels they have now... to me it looks like its going to be a mess.

 

[LostBoyinVA]

With the cellular coverage in my area being good enought that I can get Pandora in the car eveywhere I drive my commuting vehicle, I let the Sirius service in the over car expire when the current subscription ran out. I still have service with XM in another car and for Internet. That is the car we do vacations in and run around in on the weekends. I like having XM in that car. But If they raise the price that much and there are not discounts available I will be cancelling to too.

 

[whitewolf8214]

I got it to on one radio, but I am hearing that lifetime ends when they launch SiriusXM 2.0 early next year.

what if you have sirius lifetime subscription already? is this xm radios,sirius radios or both? is there any radios out now for 2.0? i have had it since they came out with satellite radio ty for help and reply

 

[w6pea]

I have two XM Receivers, they charged me $74.30 plus a radio service fee of $8.32 which came out to $82.62 for one of them my second receiver they charged me $38.75, plus a radio service fee of $8.32 for a total of $47.07, the lady I talked to said for me to call her back in June of 2012 and she would guarantee me that she would give the same deal......we will see. But as far as I am concerned with all of the other things that I hear is going on with Sirius/XM Radio, I would be surprised if they are still in business I have started listening to several local AM radio stations when I am in my truck and in the RV as we travel why pay I am really considering not renewing at all.