Filed under: Audio, I.C.E., Tech, Audi, Volkswagen
VW and Audi sign with Sirius exclusively
No longer will one be able to choose between either XM or Sirius satellite radio in a new Volkswagen or Audi, as the two brands have just signed an exclusive agreement with Sirius Satellite Radio through 2012. The companies have had a non-exclusive agreement with both providers for the past few years, but customers will lose XM as option beginning with 2007 models.
Audi states that the decision was made in order to reduce complexity in dealer ordering. That’s a shame as VW/Audi held a competitive advantage over its rivals by offering consumers a choice between the two. Volkswagen, however, will offer a three-month complimentary subscription to the service for those still interested.
[Source: VW/Audi]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
iQuack 6:26PM (3/18/2006)
Just another reason to ignore VW/Audi unless you MUST have Howard Stern riding with you.
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charlie 6:32PM (3/18/2006)
"Thats a shame as VW/Audi held a competitive advantage over its rivals by offering consumers a choice between the two."
You're joking, right? People don't choose their $40k -$70k car based on which satellite radio service is offered, especially when if you really favor one service over the other, better aftermarket gear is available for a couple hundred installed.
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jim 7:31PM (3/18/2006)
Hey, stern drives a A8.
The audio gear is still sat ready, just have to switch sat gear out and keep same head unit.
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Rene Curry 10:46PM (3/18/2006)
Electronics are so compact. I can't figure out why they don't make a receiver that can do both. The automaker can then cut a deal with both of them offering 6-12 months free to get the consumer hooked. Then the consumer and the market will decide which one is best. Also if one goes belly-up, you will not have some obsolete equipment.
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Car-la 8:34AM (3/19/2006)
I agree with Rene. It shouldn't be that difficlut to produce one receiver for both systems. But then, I guess none of the systems really is interested in that. And I'm sure VAG received a good deal from Sirius, so neither are they interested.
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Tom 9:39AM (3/19/2006)
Sadly, this decision is a mistake for VW/Audi. Where are they getting their research data?
XM is a much better choice.
I am so glad to have purchased my 2006 VW and had a choice.
What makes life great is the ability to choose for ourselves?
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Jaymez 1:12PM (3/19/2006)
From what I've read about the sat ready HU's, even if I was in the market for a Sirius equipped car, I'd still use my aftermarket reciever instead of the factory one. I've heard the HU's lack all the functionality of the PNPs(No artist seek, no replay, limited display - only showing station and number unless a display button is pushed to flash artist name and channel.)
Besides all that, it's far cheaper to upgrade a PNP unit than it is to upgrade a HU. Hell, you can buy a new Replay for less than $100.
For my money, Sirius is the better service. I only considered getting XM for Fox News and Fox NewsTalk, but, Sirius is now offering those channels again.
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josh 2:57PM (3/21/2006)
Yes its true that the aftermarket radios have more options but the fact that the system is already hard-wired into the car is a big plus. a number of my friends have aftermarket radios from both companys and always have problems with losing reception or having a fuzzy signal. even though you do have a limited amount of options you still get a quality sound. plus after a month or two you know what channels you like and are going to be listening to the most
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John 7:29PM (3/21/2006)
XM vs Sirius
XM - 6 millions subscribers
Sirius = 3 million subscribers
XM - 200 plus channels
Sirius - 125 channels
XM - O & A
Sirius - Howard Stern
For the money, service & entertainment choices... I'll take XM!!!
I guess, I won't be buying a VW or Audi product. : (
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Brian 9:51AM (3/22/2006)
John's comment was WRONG. Sirius announced that they are at 4 million subscribers! As for the entertainment value, Sirius is getting all the bigger and better names...Nascar is on their way over to Sirius as well!
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Gilbert 10:56AM (3/22/2006)
To add what Brian said, Sirius is also the leader of sports including the NBA, NHL, both college basketball and football, AFL, and European soccer (Premier League). The only sport XM has is baseball
(B-O-R-I-N-G!). Plus Sirius has original programming and is much more interesting than XM. I listened to XM. I turned it off and returned it to the store where I bought it and exchanged it for Sirius. And boy howdy, Sirius is the best and will never listen to anything else again.
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Gilbert 10:56AM (3/22/2006)
To add what Brian said, Sirius is also the leader of sports including the NBA, NHL, both college basketball and football, AFL, and European soccer (Premier League). The only sport XM has is baseball
(B-O-R-I-N-G!). Plus Sirius has original programming and is much more interesting than XM. I listened to XM. I turned it off and returned it to the store where I bought it and exchanged it for Sirius. And boy howdy, Sirius is the best and will never listen to anything else again. Sirius rules!!!!
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John 6:49PM (3/22/2006)
One of the most common mistakes of comparing these two services is the number of channels people boast they have. When it comes down to it they have comparable channels of content. If you count the number of channels with actual content: music, news, talk, traffic etc. they are comparable. Sirius added 5 new channels this past month and they're great additions.
I am an AOL broadband user so I have had access to XM radio for sometime. I also subscribed to Sirius satellite radio in December and I have to admit it has been one of the best purchases I've made being a commuter.
I'll admit I'm a longtime Stern listener. Granted he is the main reason I joined satellite radio but 13$ a month is a great deal for the service even without Stern.
Being someone who has used both I have to say the quality of Sirius is superior to XM. The content on Sirius blows XM out of the water. As a sports junkie I will say the only advantage XM has is the MLB contract, but Sirius counters that with contracts with NFL, NBA, NHL, NASCAR (coming soon) and NCAA. I'll sacrifice baseball for the others 8 days a week.
Sirus's technology is better then XM's as well. I purchased the S50 which is the best player on the market and it's great. I have not touched my iPod since I turned my S50 on.
If you're considering satellite radio, do yourself a favor and choose Sirius.
Good move for VW/Audi. More automakers will follow this move as the masses subscribe to Sirius and XM continues to falter.
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SHAUN 6:54PM (3/22/2006)
HOWARD STERN ALL THE WAY SIRIUS HAS MADE THE BEST MOVE EVER LOOK AT NASCAR THEY WERE WITH XM AND ARE LEAVING TO GO TO SIRIUS. XM IS OFFERING SUBSCRIBERS 3.00 A MONTH OR LESS FROM WHAT I AM HEARING THERE DESPERATE AND THEY DON'T WANT TO LOSE ANY ONE. BUY THE WAY THE PLAYBOY CHANNEL WAS AT XM AND MADE THE SMART MOVE AND WENT TO SIRIUS. ALL CAR DEALERS SHOULD INSTALL SIRIUS IN THERE CARS. BYE BYE XM START PACKING
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Eric 3:34PM (3/23/2006)
I agree with John.
Good move VW/Audi ! Great cars deserve a great satellite service with SIRIUS! Content, not the number of channels, make the radio. SIRIUS has it all.
Stern,Bubba,NFL, etc... you can't go wrong!
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jesus 6:00PM (3/23/2006)
Sirius had subscribers in the 100,000's in July05.
Sirius had signed up 3 million subscribers as of the
end of 2005.
Shares of Sirius Satellite Radio rose as much as 7% on Monday, gains reflecting news that the company's reportedly settled feuds with two major record labels and that its subscriber base has passed 4 million.
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OpieCunningham 3:00PM (3/26/2006)
XM ... 200 plus ( 180 disappointing ) channels... 6 million subscribers and falling monthly....prices on monthly fees dropping to current subscribers from the "panic" they seeing ....
SIRIUS ....130 plus ( fewer than 10 unlistenable ) channels .... close to 4 million subscribers.... growing daily, no price changing, & deals being made to satify customers from built in radios to portables they enjoy...... DONT HATE ON A TEAM THAT KNOWS WHAT 2 DO !!!!!!
SIRIUS HAS A GAME PLAN ..... XM JUST IN THE GAME ....
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Bob Zamaripa 10:52AM (3/28/2006)
I believe alot of the comments are true about the categories that Sirius has vs. XM I tried both and Sirius is way better. Not to mention that if Sirius could make there systems fast enough they would have exceeded 6 million, they just passed 5 million. With the Tag team of Howard and Bubba you Don't get any better Radio than that.I will buy an AUDI because of the winning choices this company made.
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Tom 8:48PM (4/04/2006)
It appears Howard sterns major stock holders have shown up above wishing & wishing.... keep on wishing. Now a reality check gentlemen.....
NEW YORK (Reuters) - XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (XMSR.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Monday said it had added more than 568,000 net new subscribers in the first quarter, and the cost of adding new users fell sharply from the fourth quarter.
XM, the No. 1 U.S. satellite radio operator, said its total subscriber base is now more than 6.5 million, and it is on track to reach its goal of 9 million by year-end.
The company did not specify its costs in the period, saying only that it had a "substantial reduction" in the cost to acquire a new subscriber.
The quarterly subscriber additions were better than some analysts had expected and come some six weeks after investors were shaken by XM's report that fourth-quarter subscriber acquisition costs ballooned, as did its total net loss.
"Though the first-quarter subscriber number and affirmed guidance did not represent a big upside surprise, it is still likely to be good for sentiment around the stock," Sanford Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett wrote in a note to clients. "It confirms that subscriber growth remains on track, despite investor concerns over this topic in the last few months."
Shares of XM rose 1.3 percent to $22.55 in afternoon Nasdaq trade, but are still down about 17 percent this year. By contrast, smaller rival Sirius Satellite Radio's (SIRI.O: Quote, Profile, Research) stock is down more than 23 percent year to date.
While both companies are rapidly adding subscribers, who pay about $13 a month for the nationwide radio service, they have been dogged by concerns about spending.
XM said major initiatives for the second quarter include play-by-play coverage of Major League Baseball, next-generation portable XM radios, comprehensive coverage of the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament in English and Spanish, and the premiere of musician Bob Dylan's XM Radio show.
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xm gurl 6:32PM (5/02/2006)
I LOVE XM! I could not be happier with the system in the car or in the house. I do not know what people are talking about. My friend has a Sirius account and it sounds like clear FM channels, xm is so clear and you would never hear it clank out like Sirius. That system would go in and out in a few bushes outside our store and it goes out 95% of the time. He had to go out and cut doen trees in the bushes to make it come in and even then it was like 75% going out b/c our store. XM barely goes out and I live with a crap load of trees. STICK WITH THE BETTER OF CHANNELS XM ALL THE WAY! Better choices, more channels to choose from xm has like over 200, Sirius has like maybe 150 I think I dunno all I know is I counted the new total from both and XM has more channels to choose from. Choose smart Choose XM! Thanks!
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