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Research Outline

Prepared for Ethan I. | Delivered June 8, 2020

SiriusXM Satellite Radio Podcasting Initiatives

Goals

To provide an understanding of the podcasting initiatives for SiriusXM satellite radio and Pandora including: current and past podcasts, any original shows, any shows in development, and any partnerships or created features.

Early Findings

Overview of Podcast Initiatives in SiriusXM and Pandora.
  •  SiriusXM and Pandora reach more than 100 million listeners each month with their audio products in the U.S.
  • In mid 2019, Pandora, had about 3,000 podcasts and, according to executives, was expected to have 5,000 to 10,000 by year-end.
  • Beginning April 2019, 3 months after its acquisition of Pandora, SiriusXM began delivering select shows in entertainment, talk, comedy, music, and sports, to Pandora's broad audience as podcasts.
  •  22 new podcasts for Pandora and SiriusXM subscribers repurposed many of SiriusXM’s most popular shows, including: Andy Cohen’s Deep & Shallow Interviews, in entertainment; Straight from The Hart with Kevin Hart, in comedy; Trunk Nation, in music category; Joel Osteen Radio in the spirituality category; and Mad Dog Unleashed for sports listeners.
  • Podcasts in SiriusXM air through the Insight channel 121 produced by WNYC Studios including daily programs such as Freakonomics Radio; weekly programs such as Here's the Thing hosted by Alec Baldwin; and ESPN podcasts. 

Partnerships and Investments in Podcasting by SiriusXM Holdings Inc

Partnership with Marvel Entertainment

  • SiriusXM Holdings Inc is in a multi-year agreement with Marvel Entertainment in which Marvel will create exclusive weekly podcasts for for SiriusXM and Pandora beginning in 2020.
  • The podcasts will include both scripted and unscripted series, and SiriusXM and Pandora will also "debut many of Marvel’s most popular podcasts before they can be heard anywhere else."
  • The slate of programs will include 5 new series on popular Marvel characters such as Wolverine, Hawkeye, Black Widow and Star-Lord.

Partnership with FOX News Media

  • In an expansion of their existing partnership, FOX News Media and SiriusXM, all of FOX News Podcasts’ original programming is now available to Pandora’s users across all tiers of the service.
  •  With the expansion, more than 20 original FOX News Podcasts and popular podcasts such as the FOX News Radio Newscast will be featured.

Investment in SoundCloud

  • SiriusXM’s recently invested $75 million in SoundCloud, one of the world’s largest music and audio streaming platforms, in order to fully compete in the podcast market.
  • SoundCloud gives SiriusXM "exposure to the numbers of how they’re performing in podcasting, the hottest sector, and sometimes acquisitions lead to where businesses go.”

Summary of Findings

In this preliminary hour of research, we were able to find some insights on the podcast offering by SiriusXM and Pandora including sample podcasts and new and expanded partnerships in their podcasting programming.