- Agreements allow for potential annual sales of one million XM
Canada equipped vehicles by 2010
- General Motors increases vehicle orders with factory installed XM
Canada radios to 125,000; 65,000 vehicles sold year-to-date
TORONTO, Dec. 21 /CNW/ - XM Canada, the number one satellite radio service in North America, announced today details regarding the tremendous success it has achieved in 2006 with its automotive partners. General Motors (GM), Honda, Acura, Nissan, Infiniti, Toyota, Lexus, Subaru, Suzuki, Hyundai, Cadillac, Buick, GMC, Chevrolet, Hummer, Saab, Saturn, Pontiac and Harley Davidson will offer XM satellite radios in more than 115 different models of vehicles for model year 2007. Collectively, XM Canada's partners represent over 60 per cent of the new vehicles being sold in Canada.
With these long term partnerships, XM Canada has set a benchmark for the industry by securing a dominant 80 per cent share in factory installed satellite radios for the 2007 model year.
A recent highlight was the October announcement from General Motors stating that more than 100,000 vehicles with factory installed XM Canada satellite radios had been ordered in less than a year, and more than 50,000 had already been sold to customers. In the past two months GM has seen a spike in sales and a further 15,000 vehicles with factory installed XM Canada satellite radios have been sold. As of today, GM has sold more than 65,000 vehicles with factory installed XM Canada satellite radios out of 125,000 vehicle orders.
"2006 was an unbelievable year for XM Canada, especially in terms of the number of automotive deals that we completed," said Stephen Tapp, XM Canada President and COO. "These partnerships represent a win-win scenario: they ensure XM Canada's success in the long run and they provide our automotive partners with a quality value-added service for their customers.
Other OEM highlights from 2006:
- Subaru: Exclusive agreement to make XM Canada radios available in the
2007 Outback, Legacy and B9 Tribeca
- Honda: Exclusive multi-year agreement to factory install XM Canada
radios in Honda and Acura models starting with select 2007 model year
vehicles
- Harley-Davidson: Exclusive multi-year agreement - XM Canada's first
non-automotive distribution agreement
- Nissan: Exclusive multi-year partnership agreement to factory install
XM Canada satellite radios in thousands of Nissan vehicles starting
with 2008 model vehicles
- Toyota: Multi-year distribution agreement to supply XM Canada
satellite radio to select Toyota and Lexus vehicles
- Suzuki: Multi-year partnership signed for factory or dealer installed
XM Canada satellite radios starting with the 2006 and 2007 models
- Hyundai: Exclusive multi-year distribution agreement signed this
month to factory install XM Canada satellite radios, including the
2007 Sonata, marking the first time XM satellite radio service is
offered as standard equipment in vehicles in the mid-size segment of
the Canadian market
"Since they first launched 15 years ago, CD players are now in every car and we fully expect XM Satellite Radio Canada to follow the same path at a much faster pace," said Tapp. "Our automotive partnerships place our service in an exciting and growing distribution channel."
about Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.
Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (TSX: XSR) operates as XM Canada(TM) through its subsidiary, Canadian Satellite Radio Inc. XM is the No. 1 satellite radio service in the universe with the best coverage in the country and offering a unique lineup of premier Canadian and international programming.
XM Canada offers listeners up to 100 channels of unique and exclusive programming including the most NHL(TM) games, PGA TOUR(TM) and Major League Baseball(TM) coverage, the deepest play list, and news, talk, sports, entertainment and children's programming. After this season, XM will become the exclusive provider of NHL games on satellite radio. Acura, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, General Motors, GMC, Harley Davidson, Honda, Hummer, Hyundai, Infiniti, Lexus, Nissan, Pontiac, Toyota, Saab, Saturn, Suzuki and Subaru will offer XM radios in more than 115 different models of vehicles for model year 2007.
XM has an exclusive Canadian license from U.S.-based XM Satellite Radio Inc. (NASDAQ: XMSR), the leading satellite radio provider in the U.S. with more than 7.1 million subscribers. XM is offered on TELUS Mobile Radio(TM) and as of March 2007, will be the exclusive music provider to all of Air Canada's flights.
To find out more about Canadian Satellite Radio Inc. (TSX: XSR), visit our website at www.cdnsatrad.com. A live stream of selected XM Canada channels is available via a three-day complimentary trial of XM Radio Online at http://listen.xmradio.ca. To subscribe to XM Canada online or for more information about XM Canada's programming lineup and radio choice, visit www.xmradio.ca.
Forward-looking statements
Certain statements included above may be forward-looking in nature. Such statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects," "may," "will," "should," "intend," "plan," or "anticipates" or the negative thereof or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy. Forward-looking statements include estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, targets, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact. Although CSR believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. CSR's forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. CSR makes no commitment to revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances after the date any such statement is made.
Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in CSR's filings with the Canadian securities regulators, available at www.sedar.com.
%SEDAR: 00022901E
