Sirius XM Radio

Sirius XM Radio

Sirius XM Radio Inc. is an American broadcasting company that provides two satellite radio services operating in the United States, Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio. The company also has a Canadian subsidiary called Sirius XM Canada, an affiliate company that provides Sirius and XM service in Canada. The company in its current incarnation was formed after the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the acquisition of XM Satellite Radio Holding, Inc. by Sirius Satellite Radio, Inc. on July 29, 2008, 17 months after the companies first proposed the merger. The merger brought the combined companies a total of more than 18.5 million subscribers based on current subscriber numbers on the date of merging. The deal was valued at $3.3 billion, not including debt. As of Q1 2013, Sirius XM has a total of 24.4 million subscribers.

The proposed merger was opposed by those who felt a merger would create a monopoly. Sirius and XM argued that a merger was the only way satellite radio could survive.