NEW YORK, May 22 /PRNewswire/ --
- SIRIUS Will Be Exclusive North American Radio Broadcaster of F1
- Races will be available for first time to U.S. radio audience; Grand Prix events to air nationwide exclusively on SIRIUS channel 125
SIRIUS Satellite Radio (Nasdaq: SIRI) and Formula One Management have entered into an agreement that will make SIRIUS the exclusive North American radio broadcaster of all FORMULA 1 (F1) races, marking the U.S. radio premiere of the high-profile sport.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991118/NYTH125 )
SIRIUS' F1 schedule kicks off this weekend with live coverage of the Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo (Sunday, May 25 at 8:00 am ET), one of the world's most prestigious and challenging motor racing events, exclusively on SIRIUS channel 125. Often referred to as the crown jewel of F1, the Monaco Grand Prix is one of the only street circuits in use. SIRIUS will broadcast the entire remainder of the 2008 calendar's races live nationwide on SIRIUS 125, including the first-ever F1 night race, being held in Singapore on September 28.
"We are very happy to be associated with SIRIUS Satellite Radio, and that they will broadcast our races into North America," said Bernie Ecclestone, Chief Executive of Formula One Management.
"FORMULA 1 is a worldwide spectacle, blending international backdrops and advanced automotive technology from some of the best brands in motor racing with extremely talented drivers racing the world's most challenging circuits," said Scott Greenstein, SIRIUS' President of Entertainment and Sports. "SIRIUS is thrilled to deliver the high-profile excitement of F1 to our subscribers, with live coverage of races from each exotic location, giving North American racing fans unprecedented access to this unique sport."
The FIA FORMULA 1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP is the highest end of open wheeled motor racing and a single season can consist of a series of 18 races, known as Grands Prix, run from March to November on road course circuits, and in a few cases on closed city streets. The cars race at high speeds, exceeding 200 mph, and the results of each race are combined to determine two annual World Championships, one for drivers and one for constructors (teams).
The reigning drivers' champion is FERRARI driver Kimi Raikkonen of Finland, who is currently the top points holder this season (35), ahead of FERRARI driver Felipe Massa of Brazil (28) and MCLAREN/MERCEDES driver Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain (28). The reigning constructor's champion is SCUDERIA FERRARI.
2008 FORMULA 1 Motor Racing on SIRIUS: Dates Race (City) Channel May 25 Monaco Grand Prix (Monte-Carlo) 125 Jun. 8 Canadian Grand Prix (Montreal) 125 Jun. 22 French Grand Prix (Magny-Cours) 125 Jul. 6 British Grand Prix (Silverstone) 125 Jul. 20 German Grand Prix (Hockenheim) 125 Aug. 3 Hungarian Grand Prix (Budapest) 125 Aug. 24 European Grand Prix (Valencia) 125 Sep. 7 Belgian Grand Prix (Spa-Francorchamps) 125 Sep. 14 Italian Grand Prix (Monza) 125 Sep. 28 Singapore Grand Prix (Singapore) 125 Oct. 12 Japanese Grand Prix (Fuji Speedway) 125 Oct. 19 Chinese Grand Prix (Shanghai) 125 Nov. 2 Brazilian Grand Prix (Sao Paulo) 125
FORMULA 1 complements an extensive auto racing lineup on SIRIUS that includes every NASCAR race, exclusive shows hosted by star drivers Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya, plus 24 hour racing talk on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, channel 128.
The addition of FORMULA 1 also expands the European sports programming available to SIRIUS listeners on channel 125, which already features English Premier League and Champions League soccer, including every Chelsea FC match, plus Celtic FC matches from the Scottish Premier League.
For more information visit www.sirius.com.
About SIRIUS
SIRIUS, "The Best Radio on Radio," delivers more than 130 channels of the best programming in all of radio. SIRIUS is the original and only home of 100% commercial free music channels in satellite radio, offering 69 music channels. SIRIUS also delivers 65 channels of sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic, weather and data. SIRIUS is the Official Satellite Radio Partner of the NFL, NASCAR, NBA, and broadcasts live play-by-play games of the NFL, NBA, as well as live NASCAR races. All SIRIUS programming is available for a monthly subscription fee of only US$12.95.
SIRIUS Internet Radio (SIR) is an Internet-only version of the SIRIUS radio service, without the use of a radio, for the monthly subscription fee of US$12.95. SIR delivers more than 80 channels of talk, entertainment, sports, and 100% commercial free music.
SIRIUS Backseat TV (TM) is the first ever live in-vehicle rear seat entertainment featuring three channels of children's programming, including Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and Cartoon Network, for the subscription fee of US$6.99 plus applicable audio subscription fee.
SIRIUS products for the car, truck, home, RV and boat are available at shop.sirius.com and in more than 20,000 retail locations, including Best Buy, Circuit City, Crutchfield, Target, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and RadioShack.
As of December 31, 2007, SIRIUS radios were available as a factory and dealer-installed option in 116 vehicle models and as a dealer only-installed option in 37 vehicle models.
SIRIUS has agreements with Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Jaguar, Jeep, Kia, Land Rover, Lincoln, Maybach, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mercury, MINI, Mitsubishi, Rolls-Royce, Volvo, and Volkswagen to offer SIRIUS radios as factory or dealer-installed equipment in their vehicles. SIRIUS has relationships with Toyota and Scion to offer SIRIUS radios as dealer-installed equipment, and a relationship with Subaru to offer SIRIUS radios as factory or dealer-installed equipment. SIRIUS radios are also offered to renters of Hertz vehicles at airport locations nationwide.
Click on www.sirius.com to listen to SIRIUS live, or to purchase a SIRIUS radio and subscription.
FORMULA ONE, FORMULA 1, F1, FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, GRAND PRIX and translations thereof are trademarks of Formula One Licensing BV, a Formula One Group Company. Licensed by Formula One Administration Limited, a Formula One Group Company. All rights reserved.
Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance with respect to SIRIUS Satellite Radio Inc. are not historical facts and may be forward-looking and, accordingly, such statements involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Accordingly, any such statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Among the significant factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed are: our pending merger with XM Satellite Radio Holdings, Inc. ("XM"), including related uncertainties and risks and the impact on our business if the merger is not completed; any events which affect the useful life of our satellites; our dependence upon third parties, including manufacturers of SIRIUS radios, retailers, automakers and programming providers; and our competitive position versus other audio entertainment providers.
P-SIRI
Media Contact: Andrew FitzPatrick SIRIUS +1-212-901-6693 afitzpatrick@siriusradio.com
Web site: http://www.sirius.com
Andrew FitzPatrick, of SIRIUS, +1-212-901-6693, afitzpatrick@siriusradio.com. Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991118/NYTH125
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