Sirius XM Rates To Jump

[a1aara]

Originally Posted On Jan 21, 2009 6:59 PM ET
Sirius XM Rates To Jump



By Jeffrey Yorke


With big loan notes coming due, the newly merged Sirius XM Radio is looking to generate some new cash and has found some relief in hitting up subscribers with multiple accounts for more cash. The Manhattan-based satellite radio company will also start charging for its once-free online music service, the company acknowledges.


The company's basic a la carte fees will not increase, per its agreement last July with the FCC to let the two satellite companies become one; no rate increase there for three years by order of federal authorities. But beginning on March 11, additional accounts will jump $2 to $8.99 and online listeners will pay $2.99 a month, getting improved sound quality. Subscribers can dodge the increases by agreeing to longer-term subscription deals or coughing up a onetime $500 fee for lifetime service.


Twice in the past month, Sirius XM has swapped common shares of SIRI to buy down the $400 million in notes due in February, whittling the pile down to just $175 million due, but the company will have to come up with $350 million in May 2009 and another $433 million next December.

http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRWebSite/

[SharkOnLand]

I just re-upped both of my accounts for another year, so this won't affect me until next year. I may just drop the second account altogether now, when it comes due again.

[blackjack]

Seems like this will backfire. I have four accounts right now and will lose two of them when this happens.

As of now, I'm not seeing any added content unless I add "Best of XM" for an extra $6.99 a month.

[Hockey Mon]

Sirius XM Rates To Jump

Shocker.

[citcat]

Great.
Just great.
But I can't do without it in my car.

[Glorfindel7]

I only have the car account... use it to listen to RM on my way to work....
But this puts a major crimp in the idea that I could use it at home as well

(It appears to be only on the "monthly" basis, and that 3-6 month plans do not change.. at least the way I'm reading it.)

[aeroparrot]

Let's assume you have the version of Sirius that you can take out of your car and can use in the home on the stand you can use to listen there. Would that raise the price?

[SharkOnLand]

Let's assume you have the version of Sirius that you can take out of your car and can use in the home on the stand you can use to listen there. Would that raise the price?

It looks like the price increase only applies to multiple receivers.

I've got one, and the wife has one, we only pay something like 6.99 a month for the second subscription. It doesn't appear that there's any changes planned (yet) for the initial (only) receiver/subscription.

[a1aara]

Let's assume you have the version of Sirius that you can take out of your car and can use in the home on the stand you can use to listen there. Would that raise the price?

Not if you purchase a "plug & play" unit. Then you can listen to it in your car, or home, or office. You would just need to purchase a car kit and/or a home dock.

[brahmafear]

Correct me if I am wrong but the subscription you are purchasing is for a particular device (as opposed to you personally) so if you upgrade to a new device your lifetime subscription will not transfer over, at least that was the Sirius stated to me when I first signed up. Maybe it has changed.