XM, Sirius still serious about program battles

IN THE WORLD of satellite radio, XM and Sirius still have hopes of merging in the future. But until they do, they remain competitors.

XM and Sirius have traded punches again in recent days over sports programming. Sirius is the exclusive satellite radio provider of the College World Series, airing every broadcast produced by CBS Radio Sports/Westwood One, including Tuesday’s elimination game at 2 p.m. between Louisville and North Carolina on channel 119.

But Sirius’ exclusive deal with the CWS should be considered a bunt single, while XM has been swinging for the fences in the race to lock up the best college sports programming.

- advertisement -
Three months after grabbing the satellite radio rights to six schools in the Southeastern Conference, LSU became the seventh SEC school to join XM when it officially announced it was leaving Sirius on June 6. When South Carolina joins XM in 2008 and Florida comes aboard in 2009, XM will have nine of the 12 SEC schools.

XM fired yet another shot at Sirius last Thursday, simultaneously announcing new deals with Texas, Oklahoma State and the Big 12 Conference.

They say everything is big in Texas and the Longhorns’ deal with XM is no exception.

Not only will XM have Longhorns football, basketball and baseball games for the next five years, XM has even issued Texas its own channel — XM 241, an honor previously only bestowed on the likes of the Yankees (XM 176) and Red Sox (XM 177).

Beginning Labor Day weekend, XM will add three Big 12 football games a week (Texas, Oklahoma State, TBA) and also have the exclusive satellite radio rights to the Big 12 Conference football title game. XM has locked up the majority of schools in the ACC, SEC, Big Ten (minus Ohio State and Michigan) and Pac-10 (minus USC and UCLA) in its college sports stable.

The Big East Conference is still aligned with Sirius, which carries WVU football and basketball. But XM has even found a way to pull an end run on Sirius in the Big East by cutting deals to carry Cincinnati (XM has WLW-AM in its lineup) and South Florida football games, Cincinnati Bearcat basketball and the entire Big East tournament in New York.

Consider during football season, with the exception of when Cincinnati and USF play each other, XM covers half the league during conference play despite owning the exclusive satellite radio rights of just two of the eight Big East member schools.

The satellite radio provider you choose is a matter of your personal preference.

Sirius has the NFL, AFL, CFL, NBA, NHL, Barclays Premier League soccer and is the new home of NASCAR (Is there anywhere in America left where you can’t get the Nextel Cup races on at least two terrestrial radio stations?).

But with its addition of the majority of the SEC and Texas for the upcoming football season, XM is not just winning the college sports battle against Sirius, it’s running up the score.

The Big East Conference was originally created with television in mind, so you can’t help but get the feeling that Mike Tranghese and company will weigh their satellite radio options carefully as the exodus of college sports heavyweights from Sirius to XM continues.


To contact freelance writer Dave Weekley, send e-mail to weekley@yahoo.com

Would you believe that I still don't have a satellite radio? Of course, I can't find anything I'd rather listen to that tops WDVX. I can pick that up without using a satellite.

i am a huge radiophile. i have several pocket radios, a shortwave radio, a clock radio, and just replaced a stereo with a new hd radio. i even have a radio antenna connected to my computer so my computer can pick up signals as well. the only reason i don't have satellite yet is because i am a baseball fan and a hockey fan, but my college team is on sirius and i'm not getting and subscribing to both. when they merge, i will be getting a satellite radio.

Online activity suffices for me. The games are becoming available to view online. Who really needs radio any longer - except for those driving around during the game. And no true fan does that.

ctkatz Wrote:i am a huge radiophile. i have several pocket radios, a shortwave radio, a clock radio, and just replaced a stereo with a new hd radio. i even have a radio antenna connected to my computer so my computer can pick up signals as well. the only reason i don't have satellite yet is because i am a baseball fan and a hockey fan, but my college team is on sirius and i'm not getting and subscribing to both. when they merge, i will be getting a satellite radio.

First off the writer has a factual inaccuracy XM has the NHL not the little Doggie company. Second off, don't hold your breath on the merger. It doesn't look good for that and thus the little Doggie Radio company and its star hoo hoo Howie.

Sirius did have select NHL games this past year, but XM was the official provider of NHL games on satellite radio. Don't know if that was the final year of the Sirius deal for the NHL or if they'll retain rights to about 10 NHL games a week.

Just out of curosity, I am really looking into getting Satellite radio for my commute to and from work. I am a huge baseball fan so XM gets the nod there.

Does anyone know how many Big East football/basketball games will be carried by XM per year??

Jackson