SiriusXM already runs ads in its talk programming — and now it’s rolling out a cheaper subscription plan with ads in its music channels, too.
SiriusXM Play, the company’s first ad-supported subscription package, will carry a monthly price of “less than $7” with access to more than 130 channels running “limited ads.” The package is currently available “on a limited basis”; the company will announce package pricing and additional details later in 2025.
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The ad-supported Play plan, aimed at customers who want to listen to SiriusXM in their car, will be at least $3 per month cheaper than its exiting offerings. Its in-car subscription plans start at $9.99/month for a music-only tier and go up to $24.98/month for the All Access plan. The company also offers an app-only version of All Access for $9.99/month.
The pitch to marketers is that SiriusXM Play expands on the satellite and streaming audio provider’s existing talk programming ad inventory to include the “previously untapped opportunity” to reach consumers within its music channels — and get in front of listeners in their automobiles. At launch, the service will carry about half the ad load of traditional AM/FM radio.
“The launch of Play allows marketers to tap into SiriusXM’s premium, curated music programming and unlock its highly passionate subscriber base in an intimate environment with few distractions: the car,” the company said in announcing the package Tuesday.
SiriusXM Play will be available to nearly 100 million vehicles by the end of 2025, according to the company.
SiriusXM Play’s music channels are expected to include Hits 1, The Highway and Hip-Hop Nation; sports channels will include Mad Dog Sports Radio, College Sports Radio and Fantasy Sports Radio. News channels will include POTUS, Patriot and Progress. On the talk and entertainment front, channels in the packages are set to include Radio Andy, Conan O’Brien Radio and Today Show Radio, as well as comedy channels like Kevin Hart’s LOL Radio, Comedy Central Radio and Jeff & Larry’s Comedy Roundup.
SiriusXM claims it reaches 160 million listeners each month across satellite broadcast, streaming (inclusive of Pandora, SoundCloud and more), and the SiriusXM Podcast Network. Over the next year, the company plans to launch additional advanced capabilities such as enhanced targeting, dynamic ad insertion, “creative channel takeover packages” and measurement tools across SiriusXM’s ad inventory in 360L-enabled vehicles.
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