Sirius Satellite May See Q1 Subs Upside
Peter Kang, 01.11.06, 11:59 AM ET
Caris & Company maintained an "above average" rating on Sirius Satellite Radio (nasdaq: SIRI - news - people ) and said the satellite radio provider could see upside to first-quarter subscriptions given the recent debut of Howard Stern.
"Sirius, which began broadcasting Howard Stern's talk show on Monday this week, may be on the path to exceed subscriber expectations in the first quarter," wrote analyst Susan Kalla, in a client note.
"Our checks indicate Sirius may have activated 180,000 subscribers on January 9, Howard's first day."
The research analyst said the firm's estimate of 700,000 first-quarter gross subscriber additions "may be light."
Sirius is starting to narrow the lead held by larger rival XM Satellite Radio (nasdaq: XMSR - news - people ) with current subscriber growth approximately double that of XM, according to Kalla.
"The strong growth in the fourth quarter reflects promotional push by Howard Stern, who blanketed the media with marketing," the analyst said.
The firm estimates Stern's addition will cost Sirius approximately $600 million over a period five years, but said the investment could pay for itself in less than two years.
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