NEW YORK, March 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SIRIUS XM Radio announced today that it will offer live coverage of 2009 American Le Mans Series races to SIRIUS and XM subscribers nationwide.
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SIRIUS XM will air every 2009 American Le Mans Series race on both the SIRIUS and XM platforms starting this Saturday, March 21, with the season's first event, the 57th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by "Fresh from Florida," from Sebring International Speedway in Sebring, FL. Coverage will run from 10:00 am to noon ET and again from 9:00 pm ET to the finish on SIRIUS channel 126 and XM channel 242. Listeners will hear on track action plus pre- and post-race coverage.
The American Le Mans Series is North America's premier sports car series, featuring high-tech cars from the most prestigious automobile manufacturers in the world -- including Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, Porsche, Corvette, Ferrari and Panoz -- competing in a combination of endurance and sprint races on road racing tracks as well as street circuits in major urban markets. Races feature exotic, open-top prototypes and sophisticated production-based Grand Touring (GT) cars all competing on the track at the same time.
American Le Mans Series races aired on XM Radio last season. This year marks the first year the races will be available to both SIRIUS and XM subscribers.
"This season, SIRIUS XM will deliver American Le Mans Series races to more than 19 million subscribers around the country, allowing more listeners than ever before to experience this unique and entertaining form of auto racing," said Scott Greenstein, SIRIUS XM Radio's President and Chief Content Officer. "The American Le Mans Series is a key part of our extensive motorsports coverage and another reason why SIRIUS XM is a 'must have' for racing fans."
In addition to American Le Mans Series coverage, SIRIUS XM Radio broadcasts every NASCAR race and every Formula 1 race, giving motorsports fans around the country access to world class racing on oval tracks, road course tracks and street circuits.
SIRIUS XM's motorsports schedule is a feature of the extensive European sports programming the satellite radio broadcaster offers. Listeners can also hear world class soccer from the English Premier League, Champions League and Scottish Premier League, plus World Cup skiing events from around the globe.
About SIRIUS XM Radio
SIRIUS XM Radio is America's satellite radio company delivering commercial-free music channels, premier sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic and weather, to more than 19 million subscribers as of December 31, 2008.
SIRIUS XM Radio has content relationships with an array of personalities and artists, including Howard Stern, Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, Jimmy Buffett, Jamie Foxx, Barbara Walters, Opie & Anthony, Bubba the Love Sponge(R), The Grateful Dead, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Bob Edwards. SIRIUS XM Radio is the leader in sports programming as the Official Satellite Radio Partner of the NFL, Major League Baseball(R), NASCAR(R), NBA, NHL(R), and PGA TOUR(R), and broadcasts major college sports.
SIRIUS XM Radio has arrangements with every major automaker. SIRIUS XM Radio products are available at shop.sirius.com and shop.xmradio.com, and at retail locations nationwide, including Best Buy, RadioShack, Target, Sam's Club, and Wal-Mart.
SIRIUS XM Radio also offers SIRIUS Backseat TV, the first ever live in-vehicle rear seat entertainment featuring Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and Cartoon Network; XM NavTraffic(R) service for GPS navigation systems delivers real-time traffic information, including accidents and road construction, for more than 80 North American markets.
The American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series is the premium brand of motorsport in North America, featuring high-tech, relevant sports cars from the most prestigious automobile manufacturers in the world. Its unique four classes of competition showcase exotic, open-top prototypes and sophisticated production-based GT cars, all competing on the track at the same time. The American Le Mans Series competes at the premier road racing tracks across North America and at selected temporary street circuits in major urban markets. With a 2009 broadcast package that includes every race on SIRIUS XM Radio, three network broadcasts on ABC and NBC and seven telecasts on SPEED, plus live broadcasts across Europe, the Series delivers a global marketing platform that is unmatched in motorsports. The Series, founded in 1999 by Georgia entrepreneur Don Panoz, represents a mirror image to the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world's most famous and authentic automobile race. The American Le Mans Series features elite marques such as Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, Porsche, Corvette, Ferrari and Panoz, and premium brands such as Michelin, Yokohama, Kumho, Lowe's, EPIC, Shell, DHL, Hyatt Hotels and many others.
The American Le Mans Series is the only motorsports body in the world that features multiple street-legal alternative energy sources -- clean diesel, and E10 and E85 cellulosic ethanols. Through partnerships with diesel fuel supplier Shell, VP Racing Fuels and EPIC (Ethanol Promotion and Information Council), the American Le Mans Series has taken the leadership role in motorsports for the furthering of alternative fuel technology and use. It also illustrates deeper the Series' relevance to its list of prestigious manufacturers and affluent consumer base.
This communication contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the benefits of the business combination transaction involving SIRIUS and XM, including potential synergies and cost savings and the timing thereof, future financial and operating results, the combined company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with respect to future operations, products and services; and other statements identified by words such as "will likely result," " are expected to," "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "intend," "will," "should," "may," or words of similar meaning. Such forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of SIRIUS' and XM's management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of SIRIUS and XM. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements.
The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statement: our substantial indebtedness; the businesses of SIRIUS and XM may not be combined successfully, or such combination may take longer, be more difficult, time-consuming or costly to accomplish than expected; the useful life of our satellites; our dependence upon automakers and other third parties; our competitive position versus other forms of audio and video entertainment; and general economic conditions. Additional factors that could cause SIRIUS' and XM's results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in SIRIUS' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 and XM's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, which are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and available at the SEC's Internet site (http://www.sec.gov/). The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof, and SIRIUS and XM disclaim any intention or obligation to update any forward looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this communication.
P-SIRI Contacts for SIRIUS XM Radio: Andrew FitzPatrick SIRIUS XM 212.901.6693 Andrew.Fitzpatrick@siriusxm.com
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