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SiriusXM launches handful of free, ad-supported channels

(Logo: SiriusXM/Handout, Graphic: The Desk)

Radio company SiriusXM Pandora is offering a handful of free, ad-supported channels on its satellite radio service.

The move allows former SiriusXM customers and those with lapsed free trials to enjoy a handful of music channels in their cars or through other hardware radios.

The free channels airing on SiriusXM include:

  • Met Opera Radio (Channel 75)
  • HBCU Radio (Channel 142)
  • Korea Today (Channel 144)
  • En Vivo (Channel 152)
  • SiriusXM Hits 1 Preview (Channel 602)
  • 90s on 9 Preview (Channel 609)
  • Classic Rewind Preview (Channel 625)
  • The Heat Preview (Channel 636)
  • The Highway Preview (Channel 656)

The channels are available on SiriusXM’s newest line of 360L Internet-equipped radios, which allow drivers to access the company’s traditional satellite radio lineup along with hundreds of online-exclusive channels.

Last year, then-incoming chief executive Jennifer Witz confirmed the radio company would experiment with offering a limited number of ad-supported stations on inactive, in-car radios.

“This is yet another exciting way we’re making significant long-term investments to drive more share of ear, wallet and ad budgets across our platforms,” Witz said at an investor’s conference in November.

Earlier this year, SiriusXM said it predicted around one in four new vehicles sold in the United States would be equipped with its newest 360L radios.

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About the Author:

Matthew Keys

Matthew Keys is an award-winning journalist with more than 10 years of experience covering the business of television and radio broadcasting, streaming services and the overall media industry. In addition to his work as publisher of The Desk, Matthew contributes regularly to StreamTV Insider and KnowTechie, and has worked for several well-known news organizations, including Thomson Reuters, McNaughton Newspapers, Grasswire, Comstock's magazine, KTXL-TV and KGO-TV. Matthew is a member of IRE, a trade organization for investigative reporters and editors, and is based in Northern California.

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