Sirius iPhone App Hits 1 Million Downloads

It's unclear how this milestone will impact the bottom line, as Sirius did not say how many iPhone users were paying for the satellite radio service. By Marin Perez InformationWeek julio 6, 2009 02:57 PM

Sirius (NSDQ: SIRI) XM (NSDQ: XMSR) Radio said its application for the iPhone and iPod Touch has been downloaded more than a million times within the first two weeks of its release.

The app gives iPhone users mobile access to 120 different radio channels that cover music, live talk shows, news, comedy, and sports. The download milestone is a bit surprising because the satellite company's app did not include access to its popular talk show host Howard Stern because of licensing issues.

Reaching more than 1 million downloads so quickly is strong testament to our world-class programming and Sirius XM's instant brand recognition," said Scott Greenstein, president of Sirius XM Radio, in a statement. "Our goal is to give people access to the best audio entertainment wherever they go with what we think is the best music and audio entertainment application available in the App Store."

It is unclear how the milestone will affect the struggling satellite radio company, as the app is free and has been propelled by a multimedia promotional campaign offering free trial subscriptions. The company is looking for users to pay $13 a month for a standalone online streaming package, and an extra $3 a month for subscribers with the company's in-car service.

The company did not say how many Sirius iPhone users were paying for the service, and it will likely take a few more weeks to determine how many free-trial users will convert to full-fledged subscribers. The company has had a tough time attracting new customers, particularly as new car sales have plummeted, and Sirius said it would look for new audiences by expanding to more devices like the iPhone.

Source:

http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal_tech/iphone/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=218400529