Sirius vs. XM

Sirius and XM were two competing satellite radio companies that combined in 2008 because they were having trouble surviving separately. This video talks about the competition between the two and the circumstances leading up to that merger.
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Company Declines:
Kmart: • The Decline of Kmart.....
Blockbuster: • The Decline of Blockbu...
RadioShack: • The Decline of RadioSh...
Solo Cups: • The Decline of Solo......
Toys "R" Us: • The Decline of Toys R ...
hhgregg: • The Decline of hhgregg...
Pan Am: • The Decline of Pan Am....
ESPN: • The Decline of ESPN......
Gibson: • The Decline of Gibson....
iHeartMedia: • The Decline of iHeartM...
Bon-Ton: • The Decline of Bon-Ton...
Kodak: • The Decline of Kodak.....
General Electric: • The Decline of General...
Woolworth: • The Decline of Woolwor...
Dell: • The Decline of Dell......
Sears: • The Decline of Sears.....
Payless: • The Decline of Payless...
Hostess: • The Decline of Hostess...
Redbox: • The Decline of Redbox....
Nokia: • The Decline of Nokia.....
JCPenney: • The Decline of JCPenne...
Quiznos: • The Decline of Quiznos...
GameStop: • The Decline of GameSto...
NASCAR: • The Decline of NASCAR....
Shopko: • The Decline of Shopko....
MoviePass: • The Decline of MoviePa...
Reebok: • The Decline of Reebok....
The Gap: • The Decline of The Gap...
Pier 1 Imports: • The Decline of Pier 1 ...
Sbarro: • The Decline of Sbarro....
AOL: • The Decline of AOL...W...
Long John Silver's: • The Decline of Long Jo...
Chuck E. Cheese's: • The Decline of Chuck E...
GNC: • The Decline of GNC...W...
Hertz: • The Decline of Hertz.....
Steak 'n Shake: • The Decline of Steak '...
CiCi's Pizza: • The Decline of CiCi's ...
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Website created by - fullertonmedia.com
Intro Made By - / @jombo1

[@gracem3412]

this is a very productive way to use my time

[@chronicandironic8701]

I literally spend hours learning about companies just to claim I’m educating myself

[@mockingbird_redacted]

@Waldo Malone hmmm. How about socks for fish?

[@theily1724]

@@mockingbird_redacted Would we call it focks or sish?

[@spacecowboy7607]

Have a essay due, but needed to watch this video because I have priorities lol

[@user-cv8qe9ru8c]

I always feel that way when I watch his vids.

[@PT5-Shorts]

Finally Company Man is at 1mill subs! He deserves it

[@companyman114]

Thanks.

[@SRBAnimate]

2 months later: 1.11M subs

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

@@companyman114 very nice!

[@PT5-Shorts]

@Заработок от 3000 в день Wll said. I don't speak Russian but well said anyways

[@heathdionne7717]

I'd really like to see what the age breakdown of their customers is. My parents have satellite radios, and I know a few other people who have them, but I'm 22 and I couldn't think of a single person my age who has one

[@lpnp9477]

Same, but 32. I was surprised by this video that it's doing well at all. When it came out I was a teenager and thought it was a huge ripoff. Why would I pay to listen to what the DJ wanted me to listen to? And not be able to skip songs? And still have to sit through commercials sometimes?

[@DouglasEdward84]

@@lpnp9477 In my mid 30's only knew of a couple of guys that have or still do have it, and they all have jobs with lots of driving and/or nights out of town, so that might be a niche market that satellite radio does very well with.

[@blakem2902]

My car has a bad XM antenna so I can’t listen to it

[@MattyHervey]

I'm 44 years old. In 2001 (about a week before 9/11 happened) I attended a music festival that was sponsored by XM, and I said, "Why would anyone pay for this?" If I didn't want to hear commercials, I played CDs or tapes. Then came the iPod, and along with it podcasts. Now we all have smartphones in our pockets. I just can't understand how this industry continues to survive. It was a bad idea to begin with, and has only become more obsolete. Howard Stern seems to be the only thing that brought in a decent subscriber base, but his price tag was crippling. Even if they couldn't have predicted smart devices, the rapidly growing accessibility of the internet by 2001 was an indication that it wouldn't be needed in the home, which I think is why they always focused on cars, but if there was ever a need for it in the car, I certainly can't see one now.

[@preciadoalex123]

im 23 and i have it for two yrs now, better than fm radio.

[@fhdogs]

I was one of the very first XM subscribers... I was anticipating the sale of their first units, originally aftermarket car stereos. I went to a local Circuit City the night before they were to go on sale, and convinced an employee to sell me the system just before closing. I immediately drove to a nearby parking garage where I had enough light to install the head unit, receiver box, and antenna. I remember calling the activation number, and it taking a long time to activate as the customer service rep was still trying to figure out how to create a new account. He even told me that he wasn’t sure the system would allow the new account as they had only been able to do test accounts up to that point, and I may have to call back the next day once the official public launch happened. In the end, everything worked fine, and I loved having XM on multiple systems and vehicles for years. Unfortunately for the technology, cellular data outpaced the abilities of satellite radio, and the convenience of smartphone streaming became a better option for me. Primarily, I preferred custom streams of music I enjoy over stations dedicated to a specific genre.

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

Circuit City? Circuit City? ( Obi-Wan music is playing ) Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time. Long time....

[@CD-qi8oy]

lol Circuit CIty . I got mine from Service Merchandise. i feel so old . i still have mine and it works but the knob broke a long time ago. i still have the unlimited listener sub on it. paid i think 500 bucks for it.

[@JustinY.]

Could you make a video about the fall and then acquisition of Yahoo?

[@pauloarguelles7710]

Noice

[@ChronicTaxEvader]

Oh my, its him kzbin.info/www/bejne/anmlaK2nhZ6EhNE

[@zachhalverstam2804]

Damn already

[@leont837]

I feel like we watch the same exact videos

[@all_out_tripp7220]

Never did I ever expect Justin Y. Suggest something ab companies

[@pikminlord343]

I’ve had a positive experience every time I’ve used it. No matter where I am in the country the signal is always come in clear and it’s always a great variety of stuff to choose from. Their sports deals really can’t be beat in the fact that you can listen to your team wherever you are is really nice.

[@Skylancer727]

Satellite radio is sick. Love it. No ads and connectivity anywhere including on top of a mountain. Love going across the country and still getting signal the whole time. Usually you get giant dead zones where you still have to use CDs

[@jhoughjr1]

Hulu had no ads. Trust me you will pay to be advertised to before its over.

[@Skylancer727]

@@jhoughjr1 hell no. I pay just to get youtube without ads. I would pay anyone to remove that shit from my life. Just it has to be balanced on how much I use that service. KZbin I use 90% of my free time when not gaming so totally worth it. Plus satellite has the benefit of working anywhere even where my phone cuts out which is actually way more common in the western part of the country than you expect. Plus many of the channels are CD quality so they sound better than most FM channels or streaming services. Only downside, signal cuts out if you stop under a bridge for a stoplight. Pretty uncommon but it will happen around 3-8 times on a country wide drive. Really thick tree lines can also do it but trust me when I say really thick. Only place I went to it was consistently poor was mount Rainer in Washington as the trees were over 50ft tall, up to 5ft wide, and they were densely packed. Cell service was dead on the entire mountain though so still better than just streaming. If you go on country wide tours, it really is a god sent.

[@proxyg4884]

Connectivity anywhere except under bridges or behind bukdings....or near anything that can block a satellite signal

[@Skylancer727]

@@proxyg4884 I live in the city and I can say it is pretty solid in city center where the sky scrapers are. It really is just the bridges as and really thick trees as the signal is usually sent a few seconds in advance so it doesn't cut out instantly from something blocking it like FM does. Passing under a bridge you won't have issues and driving up the mountains are fine. It's really only parking under a bridge or being in a place the trees are so thick the sun barely reaches the road. Places like Red Woods National Park were even pretty safe of dead zones. It's not nearly as bad as you'd expect as it doesn't connect you to one satellite but 3 similar to GPS. All 3 have to be lost to lose signal which is incredibly uncommon. When I say 8 times most on a trip, I mean for an entire 2 week trip and those cut outs are usually split seconds. Way better than cellular out west where even with Verizon (which I get signal better than my friends in areas out west) it's still extremely spotty and there are basically no radio stations out there. It really is the best you can get without downloading every song you know to your phone, not to mention again, CD quality.

[@hireahitCA]

@@Skylancer727 I pay for KZbin Premium, but there are plenty of ads. You don’t think so? Well, let awkwardly slip in telling you about Skillshare, NordVPN, some mediocre headphones, and my Patreon.

[@creepmike77]

I remember when Opie and Anthony were on XM and then they merged to Sirius. Miss that show.

[@craigluft7453]

anybody else notice their subscriptions dropped in 2014?

[@iNova1st]

Ahh with Patrice and Jimmy on as well

[@creepmike77]

@@iNova1st Love Jimmy and Patrice.

[@ndelliott138]

Yeah, thats the only reason I had satellite radio. I can get my music for free literreally anywhere else.

[@scubasteve7439]

y-yeah this is bobo

[@nslouka90]

I have to admit I had Sirius for just 1 year and freaking loved it! It’s so different than broadcast and internet (less ads too ) my car came with a cool unique head unit and a 1 free year subscription. I loved the channel options and specific artists and of course talk shows. I would highly consider getting it again, I dearly miss it.

[@sethfarley3572]

I always subscribe to it in 6 month increments because whenever I call to cancel it they always offer me the same deal, 6 months for $30. Last year they offered me a year for $60 so that was nice not having to talk to them for a year.

[@billyvegas111]

@@sethfarley3572 lol exactly what I do.

[@girfgirf12]

@@sethfarley3572 used to work in their marketing and sales dept. The 12/60 is always available, so you can just call and get that one every year. Cheers!

[@tabbycat406]

Kids with parents who watch football will never forget the "Sirius XM - NFL Radio" intro

[@footballtalkwithfreddy8684]

@I OFFER YOU THIS I am Sean McDermott coach of the buffalo bills and you are listening to Sirius XM NFL Radio channel 88

[@Markimark151]

I wasn’t a fan of either satellite radio company. But I used Sirius because of uncensored talk shows, it’s the biggest reason my sister paid for few years SiriusXM for sport talk shows!

[@bobroberts2371]

Howard Stern, the reason road rage exists on the morning commute.

[@vagamer522]

I like it for on and off busted open radio for wrestling and stuff like Octane and Turbo anything else I listen to sountracks from anime and games

[@Markimark151]

@@bobroberts2371 I used to listen to Howard Stern decades ago, he was much funnier back then.

[@JANEMBA9000]

Hi Company Can you make a video on What Happened to an The Rise & Fall of MSN Messenger & Yahoo Messenger 👀 ....

[@Lexilove2016]

You just combined like 3 series

[@GeorgeVCohea-dw7ou]

I guess AIM is chopped liver. kzbin.info/www/bejne/noercqagqJaep80

[@JANEMBA9000]

@@GeorgeVCohea-dw7ou lol I never had AIM back then .

[@mauricesanchez6804]

Icq? Lol... late 90s early 2000s

[@JANEMBA9000]

@@mauricesanchez6804 yup good times

[@businessexplained9578]

Company man, the type of guy to remind me to cancel my free trial. Much love, your friends at Business Explained!!

[@birdworldist]

Hug

[@businessexplained9578]

@@birdworldist yayyyy

[@zachm8827]

You guys are everywhere!

[@Lexilove2016]

Would you like some constructive criticism on your channel?

[@Wileybot2004]

SiriusXM is nice if you have to go on a long trip. A good example is my family used it traveling from Ohio to Florida in the car. It’s helpful keeping on the same station instead of hopping after going out of range

[@WorldTravelA320]

Agreed. Or if you only like a certain genre of music. I like the fifties style of music. Try finding that on a local station. You may get one song from that era followed by five from the eighties.

[@midzycase4003]

agreed

[@TXnine7nine]

I’ve had SiriusXM for close to five years now and have never paid even close to full price for it. All you have to do is get them on the line when you’re up for renewal and threaten to cancel. $60 for the entire year is way better than the ~$15 a month. If your initial rep says they can’t do anything then ask to speak to someone else. This stuff is recorded and they are always trying to sell a plan regardless of the price. I have a daily round trip commute of over an hour and a half and I like the music channels they have. just for laughs I tried tuning into my areas fm stations and was reminded as to why I tuned into SiriusXM in the first place. Nothing but political ads and other ads for 5 minutes straight. The the random song every one in a while.

[@Excalibur-Sonic]

I can confirm this.

[@aaroncarranza1161]

my dad does this to lower our subscription price too lmao

[@RF-vg5kv]

I was able to do that online at siriusxm, my special pricing was about to expire and the price was going to go up to like 20 bucks, I hit the cancel subscription button and I think it came up to a screen asking you why and I hit price and it it came up with a offer I didn't still think was all that great, I stopped went back and did the same process and got a even better price, I think like 75 bucks for the year.

[@hwogrillo]

I've had them for years and spent maybe $30 in that time. They're so desperate for subscriber numbers you can sign up for a 3 month free trial, cancel it on the last day before you're charge, and a few days later you'll get an email giving you more free months, or some ridiculous deal like $15 for 6 months. And even if that somehow fails, you can go right back to the website, put in the same exact information you signed up with on your first trial, and reuse it to sign up for another 3 month trial. I have no idea how they stay in business. I sure can't see Howard Stern pulling in any significant numbers these days, as 95% of the world forgot he existed and his show is just unlistenable these days.

[@sexychris]

I pay 5 dollars a month for all access and for me its worth it because I use the app alot when Im not on my truck plus no commercials

[@LosAngeles941]

When I am in the car, I listen to podcasts, KZbin and music from my iPhone. IMO, siriusxm is only good if you have long daily commutes or travel for work/pleasure a lot. Being in the car 20-30 minutes for a commute just isnt worth the service in the long run.

[@RyTrapp0]

Well you can certainly use the service in more places than just in a car

[@Excalibur-Sonic]

@@RyTrapp0 if you pay for the top plan or the steaming only plan (which if you want to use in the car, need data. no offline play)

[@RyTrapp0]

@@Excalibur-Sonic Right. It's 2020, most people that don't listen to terrestrial are already streaming through their data plan anyway. You said "...it's only good if..." which isn't true because, as we're discussing here, they offer options to expand the usefulness of the service. I plug in headphones and turn it on when doing yard work, cast it to the TV if I have some computer work that I really need to focus on, listen to it through the aux port of my car even if I'm just going 5 minutes to the store, etc. When more and more people are becoming 'cable cutters' and transitioning to more online content, an unlimited data plan(since most don't just consume online content through a TV or PC) covered by the savings of not having a cable bill is an obvious choice to make in 2020. SiriusXM's streaming package makes more sense now than it ever has. If this isn't an option for you, that's a 'you' problem, not a SiriusXM problem

[@RF-vg5kv]

@@RyTrapp0 absolutely, since working from home the last few months I have listened to sirius xm on the Amazon echo, the app is actually pretty cool as well.

[@antjacksonjr]

I enjoyed SiriusXM when I took long commutes to work. But their phone app was pretty trash so I traded that off for Premium Spotify

[@BugsyFoga]

Now here are two brands I have completely no knowledge of , so this will be an interesting watch.

[@Kylefassbinderful]

If you love listening to old Grateful Dead shows like me, get SiriusXM. There's two channels dedicated to their archives and there is a huge catalog of recorded shows. If you were born anytime during 1969 to 1995 there's a decent chance they was a recorded show on the day you were born.

[@savannah9134]

thats the only reason my car has it😂 it used to be my dads car, and he loved bands like grateful dead and phish so he bought it JUST for that lmao

[@mrkattm]

I love my satellite radio, I could not live without it, I love that I always have a signal and I can listen to any station no matter how far I drive. They do a great job with programming, I have all the news I will ever need, awesome specialty music stations and all time talk stations. They are expanding into internet streaming which I think is the future but they need to keep their sat services.

[@slipknot54095]

been a subscriber sense 2007 I love SXM

[@Ryan-xg5my]

I used them for a couple of years when I had to commute to work an hour each way. It allowed me to not have to change the talk show I listened to like I would have to on terrestrial radio. I guess if you travel a lot by car or are a truck driver, then this is a great service.

[@Kylefassbinderful]

Love me some Company Man episodes on my day off, you da man Mike!

[@silntwaves]

I'm off too, I feel ya

[@coffeeandrage686]

I remember being so happy when I had XM Radio installed in my 02 F-150 back in 2002. I was 16 at the time and my parents had gotten me the truck. I’m a metal guy so when I was at Best Buy (I feel so old saying that), they guy selling it to me asked what I liked, told me about it and I was sold. Loved having it in the truck, but the merger changed it a bit. It was mainly the radio DJ for the metal channel that made me drop it all together. With the merger, they changed the staff, and I had grown attached to the DJs on the XM channel. That, and around that time, the original receiver I had was starting to show its age by cutting in and out and losing signal for days on end, so I cancelled the subscription right after the 09 Financial Crisis began. Losing my job helped with the decision, too. My wife and I now use Spotify for music and podcasts, but I will say, I still drive the same truck, and still have the XM receiver on the top of it.

[@patrickm2912]

You should do spectrum cable. Its interesting to see the acquisitions, and mergers that went into it, the long standing companies that went into the merger, etc

[@Gatorade69]

West coast, Southern California it went from Adelphia to Time Warner to Spectrum. The change to Spectrum was awful.

[@patrickm2912]

@@Gatorade69 from Texas, it went from paragon, to rogers, to time Warner, to spectrum. Spectrum is shit for employees

[@KEWLV1C]

My god that would be great. I feel it’s a matter of time before Spectrum becomes something else like it always does lol

[@patrickm2912]

@@KEWLV1C they are trying to improve numbers for sales. They also were greedy dumbasses and didn't sell to Verizon before when they made an offer

[@TheLocalLt]

Spectrum is basically the conglomeration of every big cable company that isn’t Xfinity

[@franklesniak2768]

Came with a free 3 month trial in my first car in 2012 and I was hooked ever since. Never drive without it. Great video!!

[@madaction9373]

I still have my original sirius radio which still works and I paid 500 dollars for life back in 2006 and never looked back.

[@Excalibur-Sonic]

just be careful not to lose it

[@shadowgb]

Wow for life? How do i get that.

[@madaction9373]

@@shadowgb It was an old deal back when Sirius first started in 2006 and I jumped on it cause I knew it would of gone up. They don't do this offer any more

[@jonsumner1382]

If I had a lifetime membership I probably would keep SiriusXM but I don't find it worth it Dash radio has a lot of the same stuff as Sirius XM and it's free

[@jhonezcronic]

the realist of MVP'S

[@ROTSTarge]

My experience with SiriusXM has been letting my free trial lapse with my new car XD I just listen to stuff on my phone while I drive, and while I find the idea of getting music from orbit to be nifty, I'm not going to get enough enjoyment from someone else's music playlist to feel the novelty is worth my money. I definitely agree with the thought that them merging was the only way they'd survive, and honestly I'm glad they're still around

[@mychiller]

I've had them for about 4 years, I listen more on their app than in a car, it's pretty good to find stuff that other radio doesn't have.

[@charlockprime]

Glad you specified "fewer commercials," because while it used to be commercial free, that is no longer the case.

[@Excalibur-Sonic]

It's annoying. Totally.

[@lpnp9477]

Why would you pay for something that still has ads in 2020? This is why people cut the cable cord.

[@sixletters9759]

The music channels don't have ads, except the rebroadcast channels of terrestrial channels. The rest of the channels have ads. I rarely listen to the non-music channels, though.

[@ABlankAndrew]

While I don’t recommend it, a few years ago I listened to probably a couple hundred or even thousand episodes of Opie and Anthony. One of the most interesting parts of the show was hearing them discussing current events of the early 2000’s, including the merger and developing smart phone tech, etc. Though this was all post-merger, and I always wondered how Sirius XM got to be. Very cool! FRUNKIS

[@buckybadger02]

I’ve been a XM subscriber since 2003. I love it. Especially the MLB and Opie and Anthony were my favs. Going coast to coast and not having to change the channel is the best.

[@michaelfiumara9375]

Great video again. I'd love to see you look into the competition between the WWF and WCW and their eventual merger in the late 90s and early 2000s. Lots of great material there.

[@LouisWritingSomethingCrazy]

Who would have thought the video talking about their companies would be much better than their product.

[@Excalibur-Sonic]

Hear Hear!

[@raptorfromthe6ix833]

lmao

[@LouisWritingSomethingCrazy]

@@Gathocleez3 actual personalities for the shows, instead of soulless corporate shows. Music that isn't the same 30 songs or so on endless repeat, stuff like that

[@lilbeezyspc]

I'm so glad that you mentioned Opie and Anthony... that would have been my only reason for buying satellite

[@Jason-jg9kf]

just don't bring down the wrath of the destroya

[@lilbeezyspc]

@@Jason-jg9kf Home run Jason, Bravo brother man 😂😂

[@Clay3613]

Dumbass Anthony couldn't keep his idiocy contained could he?

[@hockeyprofit19]

@@Clay3613 "Dumbass Anthony" has the quickest wit in comedic history.

[@blowswanson]

@@hockeyprofit19 without Ant, O&A wouldn't have made the Sirius and XM merger. Opie was well past his prime, and spent most of the shows bitching and ruining bits

[@marcjohn9404]

I worked for a company and SXM was one of our primary clients, and I was essentially a sales agent for SiriusXM, and damn I always felt like I was ripping people off. I can't believe they can survive with Spotify out there, but to be fair they do have good channels compared to standard radio stations. I think it's mostly rich older people who use it.

[@pisceanchaniece5066]

Not old and not rich I use cause I get bored with my streaming

[@anastasiosleek.9711]

amazing video.I enjoy every single one. Great information and in depth analysis. I am wondering if you could make one about AT&T. Keep up the good work

[@joshuavillarreal4905]

I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS! thank you company man 💕

[@jmm9236]

He should do Goodyear Vs Firestone or Michelin

[@SiriusXAim]

Well, I did based my username on them. Really liked the choice and less commercial programming. It was closer to what radio used to be like. Real DJ's instead of just Spotify's algorithm.

[@Tarkov.]

Somehow it took me like, a dozen of your videos before I realized I wasn't subbed. I guess you really earned the +1.

[@Nirad-jt7en]

I started with XM back in 2004 and I have never been with out satellite radio ever since. I like the variety, from music to news, comedy or sports, but what sold me the most is the fact that if I’m traveling I don’t have to continuously search for new stations every time I get out of range of what I’m listening to. Where ever I go I can always listen to my favorite channels.

[@rogerrenfrow]

I started subscribing to XM early on. At that time the hardware available from XM was a better fit. They even had a mobile unit that I plugged into my notebook (called an XMPCR). Back when both companies were struggling, the account manager at my bank was telling me the government probably wouldn't let them fail because they had an agreement to provide bandwidth in a national emergency.

[@captramune4978]

My mom was a big fan of Howard Stern, and was upset that his show was being taken off of WXRK in New York. So around 2006 or so, for her birthday, my dad got her a Sirius radio reciever so she could keep listening. Not too long afterwards, Sirius and XM announced the merger, and changes in the broadcast format meant that the receiver didn't work anymore. We never bought another one. I don't think I ever SAW another one for more than a decade.

[@modernpoet3997]

Look forward to every video. Keep up the great content.

[@Harv72b]

In the mid '00s my parents bought me a portable XM receiver for Christmas; shortly after that I started driving a delivery van. That thing was _sooooo_ worth the money! Clip it onto one of the vents in whatever van I was driving that day, plug it into the cigarette adapter, and all day long I had music that was not only commercial free, it was almost all songs that I'd never hear on a regular radio station. Punk rock, heavy metal, 80s tunes well beyond the usual suspects found on "mix" stations...I absolutely loved it! Nowadays, though...my phone is in my car wherever I go. Spotify is on my phone. My phone is connected to my car via bluetooth. For less than the cost of SiriusXM, I get 100% commercial free music and _only_ the songs I already love. When I feel the itch for new music, I can experiment when I'm at home & add the good stuff onto my playlists. So, yeah...I don't know how SiriusXM is still in business, either, let alone making a profit. I guess for the same reason so many people still shell out for cable tv subscriptions, despite having a far better selection of programming for pennies on the dollar online.

[@danielmashanic5738]

I've had Sirius since 2008 and I can't imagine going back to regular type am or fm radio, it destroys it with how much there is to choose from

[@jacobleukus6930]

I see a lot of people on here talking bad about it and I think it’s great. I don’t always want to listen to some playlist. Sometimes I just want to actually listen to the radio

[@FredrickDahmer]

My experience: They keep sending me sign up/offer letters weekly, for a car I no longer own. They seem a little thirsty.

[@josephmaique8401]

You’re a very educational channel! Keep it up!

[@mcj88]

8:10 - Sirius had some kind of deal with NASCAR (which was still incredibly popular at the time) as well; Wikipedia tells me they had full broadcasting rights and they sponsored a Winston Cup car, the #7 Dodge, for two seasons in 2002 and 2003; and they were also the title sponsor of two Cup races, one in 2002 & 2003 and the other until 2005. In fact I believe their dog mascot inadvertently named one of NASCAR's new rules in 2003-04 - that being the "lucky dog" driver who gets a lap made up after a caution flag.

[@Scraws]

SiriusXM also offers real time weather data to the avation industry, which is more reliable than the typical ground stations. It's quite expensive, and I'm sure it helps their bottom line.

[@stephenmontgomery5807]

I was bummed when they did this "merger". XM had more cash on hand and better music channels

[@naholian1100]

Well, it wouldn’t have lasted if they didn’t.

[@stephenmontgomery5807]

@@naholian1100 I think Sirius would have just folded

[@jonsumner1382]

Yeah I can totally get that. Didn't XM him have a Christian rock station? that is literally the one and only reason I would potentially get Sirius XM is for a Christian rock station. But since they refuse to add one I am not siriusXM customer

[@Raskolnikov70]

One year - I believe it was back in 2005 - XM had a christmas channel straight out of the Dr. Demento archives called "Special X". We had XM at our retail store and our regional manager came in one day and said "You HAVE to play this channel 24/7 in here!". It was hilarious, with titles like "Please Daddy, don't get drunk this xmas" and "Let's have a drug-free xmas", stuff that was either parodies of traditional songs or originals that would definitely not been okay with the FCC on terrestrial radio. It was great. We loved it, the customers loved it, everyone enjoyed it, and then next year it was gone. Blame it on the merger I guess, because the same thing sort of happened when the channels merged - all of the original, interesting programming that they came up with to compete with each other disappeared and they became just like regular commercial radio. What a loss to the world.

[@stephenmontgomery5807]

@@Raskolnikov70 squizz was better than octane and ethel better than lithium. Ah the good ol days !

[@jakerabon8018]

Great videos keep them coming!

[@hogan220]

Y2kcountry is the reason for my subscription. When I was doing delivery I spent so much time inside my car. And I am new to country music. This channel's music selection made me fell in love with country music. Not like FM radio only plays those popular songs thousands of times again and again. The reason I prefer SiriusXM to Spotify is that in Spotify I skipped the songs quickly maybe after 10s without reaching the main part of the music. So a good man-made playlist without skipping makes me focus on what I am doing, without getting to my phone, unlock, open the Spotify, see what I'm listening to, skip, then Twitter, Facebook........, 10 mins, back to work.

[@bluesquadron8667]

One of my friends listens to you in his car. Hes also an insane driver.

[@eckmann88]

Also worth mentioning is how notoriously frustrating trying to cancel service with them is.

[@mfarooqullah]

I was waiting for your weekly upload

[@madeincanada183]

Once again, great video, I always appreciate the time and effort you put into research and presentation. Video suggestion, maybe it's too soon. Netflix Vs Disney+, Can't wait for for the next video!

[@TristanSamuel]

Oh c'mon, don't be "Sirius!" ... Uhh whats Sirius?

[@Lexilove2016]

Don't be Sirius?

[@Mii.2.0]

Person: XM is better. Me: Are you SIRIUS?

[@brodown64]

Ba dum tss

[@brubru9663]

XM is better

[@hockeyprofit19]

@@brubru9663 It was. Ever since the merger they've been censoring speech and firing what they deem "undesirables".

[@brubru9663]

@@hockeyprofit19 agreed since the merger my parents stopped using it and when they got a new car they didnt get siriusxm

[@cjvillarreal217]

Love your videos man!

[@frankr.914]

Hello Company Man! Love your videos! Always interesting and informative. I was wondering if you could do a video about LootCrate?

[@ieatyourbrain8478]

11:35 What the hell happened in 2012?

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

I think one of their satellites blew up.

[@mikeluscher159]

I like mine, I just wish they didn't go for Quality vs Quality XM used to have very good nearly CD quality sound before they packed in all these extra channels, because they had to compress each station more

[@davidfrischknecht8261]

I used to have SiriusXM, but cancelled when I was unemployed a couple years ago and never bothered re-subscribing since I now have Spotify. Willie's Roadhouse and Enlighten were my go-to channels when I had the subscription.

[@ischmidt]

Pre-merger XM was great for music fans because the channels were very deep. You were almost as likely to hear the Replacements as Madonna on the 80s channel, for instance. Post-merger it's almost strictly top 40, and realistically more like top 20 except during the weekend countdowns. I mostly listen to podcasts or Apple Music now in the car, but SXM's inexpensive enough that I keep it around. It's really nice for longer trips where data coverage is unknown and you want music, not that I've done that in 2020.

[@hoobidibahbidibah8119]

I liked SiriusXM for a while when using their free trial that came with my car, but god they're so annoying after that trial ends that it's just turned me off from ever using them again. I don't know if it's a common experience but for me at least it was incredibly hard to get them to leave me alone.

[@niltonlacle]

You're lucky! If you wanted to cancel your subscription, that was a real pain! They're quick to take your money and sign you up! But they're really unprofessional in handling cancellation of a subscription, and will do everything for you not to cancel it. Same as when you're cancelling your membership at some gyms.

[@cleonituk]

@@niltonlacle thats easy, cancel the card you signed up with. Problem solved. It is really annoying however that the only way to cancel is by calling.

[@jhoughjr1]

give those second and third efforts folks! We don't care if we piss on 99 people ok? Stats show this works.

[@jhoughjr1]

@@niltonlacle its because they outsourced their support. There was No XM office taking calls. They outsourced to shitshops like Pinnacle Teleservices. My training was come in on Monday, "look at the website before you clock in and start taking calls" As a sperg I could not work there. I thought dong support instead of sales would be better but the whole thing was one giant lie. Those places are expert liars. Lie just enough to stay legal ok, you talk fast end things in ok so people are more likely to instinctively reply ok and agree to what ur selling. We would lie whatever lie the customer told us to say. All for 5.50 an hour.

[@Cautionary_Tale_Harris]

Strange to imagine someone paying for the privilege of listening to Howard Stern talk.

[@pelsesser]

He has 2 dedicated channels and only does 3 live shows a week. Even if you like the guy it's a huge rip off.

[@rayradiance666]

I love the Chill and Chill instrumental channels, I always have that on, not sure what I would do without those, their playlist is so good.

[@HonoraryBoomer]

When I got my used car it came with 6 months free and it kind of hooked me. I really like that you don't have to worry about changing the song or always creating a new playlist. It really helps you focus on the road, and in rural environments the coverage is still great. The only reason I am still subscribed is because I can call and attempt to cancel and then get talked into paying $6 a month instead of $22 a month. I feel like their only downside is offering too much variety at a pretty high regular cost.

[@Icarus_Ridexx]

Hughes Aircraft Company would make for an interesting video.

[@DiamondNedFlanders]

Most people nowadays seem to just Bluetooth their own music

[@1-SFOD]

Ok boomer

[@zacharyouten4525]

I subscribed back in 2013, my parents had had the service on and off depending on what car they had at the moment, and I wanted it in my old civic that only had mp3 and regular radio, so I bough a receiver that plugged in the aux and used that for years. eventually I upgraded to a head unit with Sirius preinstalled and used that for a bit, and now I have a dodge with it built in. Its about the only thing I've listened to in the car for the past 8 years. If you ask nicely you can get it for real cheap monthly

[@johnkelsey2482]

I've been a subscriber since 2013....I love it....

[@eveisuponus]

The last time I heard of Sirius XM is when they sent me a settlement check for being too annoying (they ignored the Do Not Call list).

[@badxgrass]

I worked for SiriusXM as a telemarketer, the higher ups are straight up asswipes when it comes to those Do Not Call requests.

[@gigilaco]

I love this

[@dprrn]

I cancelled my subscription about a month or two ago and recently they have started calling me like the spammers do, from a local number I am presuming is spoofed. I give them the same treatment the robo callers get, answer then immediately mute the mic. I drive OTR so I have time to let them sit there and ask if I am there and that they can''t hear me. Why did I cancel? because I can't stand the 64kbps audio they stream down. you'd think after 20 some years they would have found a way to get it upgraded a little bit.

[@hireahitCA]

@@badxgrass good. They break the law in a way that makes it reasonably straightforward to file claims and get cash.

[@badxgrass]

@@hireahitCA They actually do, lol.

[@Trainfan1055Janathan]

Wait, they're not the same thing?

[@jamrhein2]

They are now. They weren't for awhile. If you buy an older car that had satellite radio it will be either XM or Sirius, not SiriusXM.

[@companyman114]

I feel like this question is answered almost immediately in the video.

[@JeffWatchesYoutube]

Not sure. Maybe there is a video somewhere out there that could explain it.

[@Trainfan1055Janathan]

@@companyman114 Yeah, I commented slightly too early...😳

[@Dman761]

wow... let this be lesson to everyone else so quick to comment before watching a video

[@JakeDafox94]

As a semi trucker it's definitely a must as there large parts of the country with low no cell service or radio channels change constantly, also they have sports and news and political talk radio (love to stay up to date out here) and iv never really had a problem with them and the cost is very little for haveing a crap ton of music channels with no commercials. And also they do broadcast some live music events like the one the dose it the most the the grand ol Opry. So ya I like it

[@whorton4]

As an early adopter of Sirius, within a year of when it launched, and loved it, I dropped it after less than a year. They started talking over the music. One particularly egregious example was when the then, "unknown DJ" on the 70's channel talked over the entire instrumental portion of "Pappa was a rolling stone" The long version at 13 minutes. I can tolerate a lot but, I cannot see paying for exclusive music without commercials only to have a damn jock ruin it. I have never been back and don't recommend it to anyone for that reason.

[@davesaints8023]

I had XM when they first came out. It was great for long road trips. I stopped my subscription in 2008 when I started buy music. If I had a car with SiriusXM I probably would get it. I usually listen to Audible, podcasts and music I purchased. It was great for when I have and I am sure there are people who like it. It’s not for me.

[@Tall_Order]

FM and MP3s are good enough for me. My local area has a ton of 80s stations. And I plug my phone into the radio via a radioshack cassette adapter to listen to MP3s.

[@charleskadletc2431]

Love your podcast. Good information. Wish we can just get what we like listening to.

[@Entolyfik]

I was a SiriusXM subscription sales rep through a 3rd party vendor last quarter 2013/first quarter 2014, and during that time, sales were exponentially high in subscriptions sold for new and newly-used car owners. By 2014, the long merged company had started boosting their sales in out-of-car radios. HOWEVER, most of the subscribers had either purchased subscriptions for Opie and Anthony and/or Howard Stern (amongst the many other options available at that time), and the biggest type of subscription was a 3-month deal, with a myriad of choices to choose from to customize the actual subscription. The problem, at least from what I had noticed through the 3rd party vendor, is that MOST people, whether a car purchaser, or one who owned a car, really called just to get the basic free 3-month special, and then cancelling their subscriptions. radio sales weren't all that well, YET, the biggest subscription owners were people who owned multiple cars, OR they were "loaded." I had a few calls with people who practically owned mansions and wanted a good subscription for their cars, typically when they would travel about the country. ....That's just from my own experience with the company. I had soon switched campaigns as a Medicaid assistant....oops. I guess I wasn't that Sirius. I know....but I had to go there.

[@Anicento]

Still waiting for him to cover HEB. They just opened a brand new store in Kerrville where the chain began.

[@TheSurrealGoose]

HEB has a very small footprint as far as supermarkets go. They don't even have location in most of Texas, much less anywhere else.

[@Anicento]

@@TheSurrealGoose true but hey have made there mark I want to say they topped Forbes List last year of supermarket chains. There growth is very strategic which is oart of their success. I'd like to see what he'd think about them as well as other historical things that I'm sure he'd find

[@GeorgeVCohea-dw7ou]

He has done several smaller companies before. These include Culver's, Bon-Ton(sp?) and Rally's/Hardee's. I'd love to see one on Buc-ee's as well. Texas has several "unique" companies worth covering. H-E-B is definitely one of these! I've been to countless grocery stores and chains across the country, and H-E-B is easily the best. It's a family owned chain and is still run by the son, who is nearly 100 years old. They are still growing. A location just opened in Lubbock within the past couple of weeks, and given that this is located in a region far away from their existing footprint, this almost definitely means there is a new warehouse and more locations are not far behind opening up north. The real issue is Company Man doesn't do many privately owned companies. The numbers are next to impossible to get and confirm. kzbin.info/www/bejne/noercqagqJaep80

[@cardaderdention]

XM was the superior product in every way shape in form. Once Sirius got Stern the tides shifted in their favor. I think that is the biggest detriment. XM was filled with ex radio guys who were progressing the technology forward and it showed by how superior the product was. But once Sirius got Stern it was game over. Those forward thinking minds were replaced with a more corporate structure that was running Sirius, and since then SiriusXM has been stuck in a tech purgatory for the last decade. Also the Opie and Anthony XM era was must listen to radio.

[@qwertyiuwg4uwtwthn]

i miss opie and anthony so much ;(

[@vcv6560]

I like your Sat radio very much (had it in-car since 2011) and with the addition of Pandora and the specialty content available on-line by phone / tablet / PC I think having their channels inside without having to buy a 'radio' its even better. its a fine product that just took a long struggle to mature.

[@HomerSimpsonIsCool]

SiriusXM is played at my work. Always the damn 80's on 8 with the same 30 or so songs for the day. I had no idea Sirius & XM used to be different companies. Thank You for educating me Company Man

[@Julian_0595]

Great! S&P global vs. Moody‘s? 🙂

[@mikewalters]

So Rogan is to Spotify what Stern was to Sirius? If so, looking back I wonder if that $500m was worth it to Sirius?

[@glorifiedng]

I Love my SXM Radio. I have had it for years now. I chose it over the streaming services because it used no data, and I like surprises. I am not a gimme gimme what i want NOW Veruca Salt type like the most are today. Also. I like the variety, I can go back in time to bygone eras. Neat nugget: When I took the eLearning on SXM diagnostics from GM, SXM's 2 satellites (that they had at the time) were/are referred to as Rhythm & Blues by the company and in the training materials. They still use terrestrial repeaters for better coverage indoors in the metro areas. Great job on the video Company Man, you never disappoint!

[@brianrs78]

I used XM because I was loyal to Honda. I still remember the merger where most of the XM channel names were kept and just moved to new channels. It was almost magical how my presets auto-updated to the new channel numbers. The biggest attraction for me was music with no ads or people talking. That changed after the merger and got progressively worse to where they have annoying “dj’s” talking more than what music was playing. I saw no point in paying to hear annoying voices blather on about nothing and eventually made the switch to streaming radio. Now I can skip the songs I don’t like, hear anything I want at any time, and don’t have people talking about mind numbing topics all the time. I also don’t miss the channel jingles or ads for other channels between songs. I got a new car earlier this year and listened a couple of random times during the free trial and decided it got worse than before I previously cancelled. Great video by the way! It’s always interesting to see how these companies come about.

[@JimmyTurner]

Im going to say long story short howard got paid more to go to Sirius and then they merged. Then people realized spotify was easier and better.

[@BennyLlama39]

And a hell of a lot cheaper? 😀

[@Excalibur-Sonic]

@@BennyLlama39 and then you either need the right type of radio to get him without paying more or pay more for the plan that has him if you don't. That just baffled me.

[@bobroberts2371]

Howard Stern, the reason road rage exists on the morning commute.

[@JimmyTurner]

@@BennyLlama39 that's included with easier and better. But to be honest you can howard them down so low you can get it cheap as fuck.

[@vagamer522]

Actually right now Spotify is getting worse and locking basic features by a big paywall

[@pippo17173]

The company is at least on the right track with the dog.

[@colinstu]

Congrats on 1M subs!

[@RJsModernLife]

My dad was an early subscriber to XM and was able to get one of their lifetime subscription packages that they don’t sell anymore. He got an external radio cause it was not yet in his car at the time. I now have that subscription in my 2021 Bronco and I still use SiriusXM frequently. They put our music way before it hits regular radio and I love no commercials

[@sheaux]

I remember when satellite radio first came out there whole premise was no commercials. Now they have commercials. Why would I want to pay for this service and have them decide what plays? With Spotify I can choose what I want to listen to. If I want to listen to the same song 10 times I can! SiriusXM really hassles you to keep up the subscription. My dad had been wanting to cancel for so long but just kept it going. I got a new car a few months ago and the free trial will be ending soon. I hardly ever listened to it anyway.

[@kylemerritt723]

I love Satellite radio, traditional radio is almost unlistenable now

[@VGHSyntheticOrchestra]

When I worked at Subaru all of our cars had SiriusXM. Loved listening to 80s on 8.

[@buddykarl944]

Been with Sirius since 2006 when my wife got me a sportster5 as a gift. Haven’t listened to terrestrial radio since & am still using that same sportster so the quality/longevity of their product, for me at least, is quite remarkable. For something to last that long while sitting in a car throughout 15 Florida summers, baking in very hot temps, outlasting the car it was in, wow! SiriusXM also has a contract to broadcast some of their channels with Dish, so you can get satellite radio on satellite TV.

[@MsGail61]

I’m one of XM’s oldest customers, having had my factory car radio replaced by one of theirs in 2001 or 02, and never being without it. I like the lack of ads, although the deejays get a little chatty, especially on channels 25 and 26.

[@weatheronthe8s895]

Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only person my age who still listens to traditional FM radio. Most people my age seem to use streaming now, but I often see it as too much of a hassle. I do use my flash drive sometimes though.

[@Jiji-the-cat5425]

I'm a Gen Z. I'm literally the same way. I like FM radio, I never saw the problem with it, I'm a basic person, I like listening to the local DJ's. Sure streaming is nice, I don't mind it. But I always found it confusing. Accounts, phone service, wifi, this and that, I'm not gonna do all that for a drive or something. The most I do for streaming in general is just look up songs on KZbin. Otherwise I just buy the album. I actually have gotten hate at for it, but I don't really care.

[@weatheronthe8s895]

@@Jiji-the-cat5425 Yeah. Most of my streaming is also KZbin. I just really wish my area had a 2000s music station. I don't get why that isn't a thing.

[@mouselett4465]

I sometimes listen to traditional FM radio as well, mainly my local NPR station.

[@Mussie69]

I joined in 2004 with XM. I have never looked back. I haven't heard a regular radio in decades. I love choices and commercial-free music, news, and sports. I've been in heaven ever since. When it's time to renew, I always use the " loyal customer since day one" excuse to get the best deals. It works! I tell them to look at my account and they agree, I'm a fan for life.

[@mechajay3358]

I just recently got SiriusXM and have been enjoying the service so far. Really fascinated in seeing how these two got together. "Let's get _Sirius"_