June 18th, 2009
Sirius XM neuters its iPhone app: Howard Stern, MLB, NFL out
Many of the reasons folks sign up for Sirius XM are missing from its iPhone and iPod touch application. For starters, Howard Stern, MLB and NFL aren’t available on the Sirius XM iPhone application.
Color me not interested. All that waiting for an iPhone, iPod Sirius XM app and you get hit with a big letdown.
Sirius XM’s press release was notable for what wasn’t mentioned.
Users of iPhone and iPod touch with an Internet subscription to SIRIUS or XM have access to exclusive sports and entertainment programming from SIRIUS XM’s satellite radio service, including, Oprah Radio, MLB Home Plate, Martha Stewart Living Radio, SIRIUS NFL Radio, NHL Home Ice, PGA TOUR, Opie & Anthony, Mad Dog Radio with Chris Russo, Playboy Radio, The Foxxhole comedy channel presented by Jamie Foxx, Blue Collar Comedy Radio, CNN, Fox News Talk and NPR.
SIRIUS and XM subscribers can also listen to 100% commercial-free music featuring exclusive shows from SIRIUS XM’s satellite radio service such as Bob Dylan’s Theme Time Radio Hour and Tom Petty’s Buried Treasure, as well as 24/7 music channels such as Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Radio, The Grateful Dead Channel, Eminem’s Shade 45, Jimmy Buffett’s Radio Margaritaville, “Little Steven” Van Zandt’s Underground Garage and Outlaw Country channels, B.B. King’s Bluesville, Willie Nelson’s Willie’s Place, Elvis Radio, Siriusly Sinatra, Metropolitan Opera Radio and many others.
Gee thanks for giving me all the stuff I don’t listen to regularly.
And then you get the money paragraph.
Some select programming, including MLB Play-by-Play, NFL Play-by-Play, SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, and Howard Stern, will not be available on the iPhone and iPod touch. Listeners will continue to be able to access that programming through the platforms they are currently offered on.
In other words, the big selling points to Sirius XM aren’t available.
Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and Editorial Director of ZDNet sister site TechRepublic. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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