Audiovox just announced that it reached an initial agreement with Sirius XM Radio Inc. to become the principal supplier of Sirius satellite radio products to aftermarket retailers. Combined with its already existing agreement with XM, this effectively makes Audiovox the main retail supplier of satellite radios in North America.
The agreement is still subject to a final distribution
agreement where Audiovox will provide warehousing, distribution,
logistics and related services for both Sirius and XM products.
But when you combine this new agreement with the existing Master License Agreement for XM products that the two signed in 2005, and this move effectively makes Audiovox the principle supplier across the board. Now we know why Directed and Sirius parted ways (though, that was predicted to happen long before).
Audiovox's President and CEO, Patrick Lavelle, called this "yet another major milestone" for the company, adding that it "further strengthens our leading position in the satellite radio category."
"Despite the current economic climate, satellite radio is still growing and we believe it will continue to be a prominent form of consumer entertainment," Lavelle continued. "With this agreement, we expect our satellite radio sales to more than double next year with limited exposure."
Now that last statement at first blush might pique a lot of interest for many - but read it carefully. Lavelle is expecting Audiovox's own satellite radio to "more than double" - not satellite radio as a whole. By adding Sirius products to their distribution roster, that's not too far of a goal to try to accomplish. Still, it's definitely great news for Audiovox.
But when you combine this new agreement with the existing Master License Agreement for XM products that the two signed in 2005, and this move effectively makes Audiovox the principle supplier across the board. Now we know why Directed and Sirius parted ways (though, that was predicted to happen long before).
Audiovox's President and CEO, Patrick Lavelle, called this "yet another major milestone" for the company, adding that it "further strengthens our leading position in the satellite radio category."
"Despite the current economic climate, satellite radio is still growing and we believe it will continue to be a prominent form of consumer entertainment," Lavelle continued. "With this agreement, we expect our satellite radio sales to more than double next year with limited exposure."
Now that last statement at first blush might pique a lot of interest for many - but read it carefully. Lavelle is expecting Audiovox's own satellite radio to "more than double" - not satellite radio as a whole. By adding Sirius products to their distribution roster, that's not too far of a goal to try to accomplish. Still, it's definitely great news for Audiovox.
Wow! First they downgrade the quality of the programming, and now the quality of the new equipment.
What, did KTEL turn down the offer to create their merchandise?
This really is creeping death.
What about the inno, stiletto, and XMp3?
Something doesn't sound right here...
2 years ago at CES Audiovox showed off an XM2Go unit:
http://www.orbitcast.com/archives/ces-audiovox-xm-1.html
That answers your question about the Inno. While Audiovox is typically synonymous with crap, they've done a good job making XM radios.
Any word of a radio that gets all xm and sirius channels?
Audiovox is the distributor, not the manufacturer. DEI does not build the stratus/starmate/sportster/stiletto, pioneer does not build the inno/xmp3, audiovox does not build the xpress family. they distribute them. big difference here guys.
This is a huge win for SIRIUS XM! Audiovox already distributes to all major retailers throughout the US.
This is great news!
Directed Electronics (DEI) saw siriusxm was in the last months of it's existence and got out of any contracts they had with the quickly sinking ship. Good to see Pioneer, blaupunkt and all the other brands were able to free themselves from the mess too. All thats left is crappy audiovox, for a few more months anyway since siriusxm is DONE.
Audiovox makes the Xpress RC, the hands-down best plug-n-play satrad on the market.
I love all these experts who know Sirius/XM is done.
and geejay, it's funny to see all these blind, ignorant, satradio fanboys who can't see how far down the tubes siriusxm has fallen. It's going to be a sad, shocking day for these blind, ignorant, satradio fanboys in the coming year when siriusxm announces the truth that they are DONE. The rest of us are IN THE KNOW.
I have had good experiences with the Sirius Audivox PNP 1 and 2.. I thought they were the best radio I've had
also had crappy panasonic (way back in the day), sirius one, original starmate, and currently Stratus 3 and sportser 4. Still best radio by far was the PNP 1(and it just starting giving me problems about 5 months ago (had it for about 5 years of solid service)..still works! So I a fan of Audivox Sat radios.
"I love all these experts who know Sirius/XM is done"
TESTIFY! They are my heroes. They know all.
My 2003 Audiovox PNP2 is still going strong with no problems at all. The secret is keeping it in it's cradle, and not moving it back and forth from car to house all time.
To anyone that's "in the know" why don't you prove that SATRAD is done so we all can be "in the know". If not then go troll somewhere else. I'll gladly take what XM/Sirius is offering over Clearchannel radio any day of the week.
Why would an anti-satrad person be reading a satrad site & posting comments? Who's the real fanboyz here???
So Wilber the secret is to not use the Audiovox PNP2 (PNP = Plug and Play) for what it was designed to do?
Audiovox radios seem okay from what I have seen, but I thought one condition of the merger was not to have captive arrangements with manufacturers, so there would be more, not fewer, choices of equipment.
And in response to the above comment about dual-service radios -- the ones that were supposed to be just a few months away -- I guess the answer is that there's not much point to those anymore, now that the services are essentially identical.
I'm sympathetic to the financial situation of SiriusXM, but I don't see how the way out of their difficulties is to make customer-unfriendly decisions at every turn.
Do not cloud peoples mind with the differences between being a distributor and a manufacturer. They do not get it. Every time something came up about DEI everyone jumped to call them a manufacturer. Someday soon maybe they will get it but for now I doubt that they do.
I can't believe that any of this is even relevant. Audiovox is going to be the main supplier of a fading technology. How many more satellite radios are going to be sold, anyway? This is not an unlimited market. Millions of people have them...but are millions going to buy new radios? Are there millions of people still on the fence about satellite radio? No. Absolutely not.
As for interoperable radios...who the hell needs them? Aside from the "best of" packages, most of the channels are the same...and soon they'll ALL be the same. There won't be any need for such a radio by the time they're widely available to the public.
It really doesn't matter...retail is not what will save sat radio...it's all about the auto sales (which suck now). The vast majority of new sat radio subs come from autos with installed sat radios, not add ons. Those days are over.
who were they competing against for the contract? jensen and pyramid?
if keeping in it's dock is the secret of keeping a satrad long, then why bother and have plug n play then? it's suppoed to take the transfers back and forth. Though i will admit that transfer back and forth was the downfall of my original starmate. MY stratus just died even though it never came free from it's dock. the audio from it just died.
don't ask about my stiletto 2. been replaced atleast 6x for either a bad receiver or headphones.
just face it sirius radios are crap.
just face it sirius is crap, paying for radio is for newbs and suckers.
All the new smaller radios hold up well as plug and play radios over the long term. I would still always get an extended warranty on a plug and play, as their carried around on a daily basis.
We all pay for radio. Most pay by listening to commercials, some pay with currency.
I've had my trusty "lil 'ol SkyFi since since Feb 2002 and switch from car to office almost every day and have never had a problem with it. Works fine. It was made by Delphi.
XM hardware was always a better price and from what I've heard has always held up better than the Sirius stuff. Just another reason why the companies should have never merged.
But you have to play the cards you're delt.......
Does this mean the Inno will not be available for sale??
I've been thinking about buying an Inno (I do like the ability to wear it like a "Walkman" and mow the grass,etc,)and retiring my Gen 1 SkyFi but all this flux has made me hesitant to do anything.
If they have the same numbskull running the supply chain (JR) at XM as the last few years, it won't matter who the distributor/manufacturer is.
This guy at XM has a certificate in project managament, not supply chain. Their data is jacked up!