Subscription radio giant SiriusXM has announced that it’s acquiring music streaming service Pandora in a deal valued at $3.5 billion.
The merger will help SiriusXM expand its presence beyond vehicles into the home and mobile areas. On the flip side, Pandora will be able to utilize SiriusXM’s automotive relationships to expand its service to cars.
According to SiriusXM’s press release, the deal “creates the world’s largest audio entertainment company.”
Jim Meyer, CEO of SiriusXM, said:
“The addition of Pandora diversifies SiriusXM’s revenue streams with the U.S.’s largest ad-supported audio offering, broadens our technical capabilities, and represents an exciting next step in our efforts to expand our reach out of the car even further. … Together, we will deliver even more of the best content on radio to our passionate and loyal listeners, and attract new listeners, across our two platforms.”
Roger Lynch, CEO of Pandora, said:
“We’ve made tremendous progress in our efforts to lead in digital audio. Together with SiriusXM, we’re even better positioned to take advantage of the huge opportunities we see in audio entertainment, including growing our advertising business and expanding our subscription offerings.”
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