Howard Stern's move to Sirius has boosted the visibility of satellite radio. Here's a comparison of Sirius and XM listeners.
Will Howard Stern’s much ballyhooed arrival to the airwaves of Sirius Satellite Radio signal the technological tipping point for satellite radio? Some critics contend that removing the content restrictions of public radio will take away Stern’s edge, which many believe is predicated on his willingness to consistently push the envelope and test his boundaries. Others view his move to Sirius with more optimism, contending he will finally be able to give his fans what they’ve wanted for so long -- Howard unleashed. Regardless of which camp you fall into, one thing is certain: Stern is creating a bridge between a premium service and mainstream listeners that may turn satellite radio into the equivalent of cable television within the next five to 10 years.
While Stern’s fans will almost certainly latch onto Sirius, formidable competitor XM Radio is quickly adding subscribers of its own. As the two providers jockey for positioning, their competition for various market niches is yielding very different audience profiles.
- The online behavior of Sirius Satellite Radio Owners demonstrates a penchant for higher-end goods and services compared to owners of XM Radio. Sirius owners are 40 percent more likely than the average internet user to visit Jewelry/Luxury Goods/Accessories sites and 13 percent more likely to visit Fragrances/Cosmetics sites (see Table 1). They are also 22 percent more likely to visit Online Trading sites. Likely a result of Sirius Radio’s broadcasting partnership with the National Football League, Sirius owners are also 16 percent more likely to visit Sports sites.
- Owners of XM Radio exhibit a high propensity to visit travel-related sites. They are 89 percent more likely to visit Car Rental sites and 45 percent more likely to visit Airline sites (see Table 2). This positioning is probably the result of XM’s strategic partnership with Car Rental agencies to carry XM in their vehicles.
| Top Categories Visited by People who own Sirius Satellite Radio – Past Six Months Ranked by Composition Index | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source: Audience insite Measures (AiM), a service of comScore Media Metrix |
| Top Categories Visited by People who own XM Radio – Past Six Months Ranked by Composition Index | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Audience insite Measures (AiM), a service of comScore Media Metrix *Composition Index represents the proportion of the given group within a specific site |
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