LAS VEGAS — Venture to the Central Hall of the sprawling Las Vegas Convention Center through Friday (1/10), and you just may find yourself spending a little extra time at Booth No. 13518.
That’s the CES 2020 display center for an Orlando-based consumer electronics company founded as Audiovox Corporation in 1960, and for the John Malone-controlled satellite radio operation reportedly seeking control of iHeartMedia.
On Tuesday morning (1/7), SiriusXM unveiled its newest aftermarket radio.
Yes — the satellite radio operation moving further toward streaming, thanks to its ownership of Pandora — has a new portable unit available for consumers.
And, it can be used in the car and at home.
Introducing the SiriusXM Tour. Unlike a traditional radio, it can deliver paid SiriusXM subscribers content via both satellite and streaming, seamlessly switching between both through the “SiriusXM with 360L” platform.
“This gives listeners access to more than 300 live SiriusXM channels plus content from SiriusXM’s On Demand library, which offers more than 10,000 hours of archived shows, exclusive interviews and audio documentaries,” SiriusXM notes.
Importantly, the receiver also gives users access to SiriusXM’s Personalized Stations Powered by Pandora, which employ Pandora’s listener personalization technology and draw from SiriusXM’s music library to allow subscribers to create their own unique channels based on their favorite artists.
“With the all-new SiriusXM Tour plug and play radio new and existing subscribers will have the freedom to experience its benefits in the car and at home on an intuitive and user-friendly portable radio,” said Joe Verbrugge, SiriusXM’s EVP and Division President for the Connected Vehicle.
The receiver is notable for its portability, bringing a new dimension to audio consumption that does not involve broadcast radio in any way to a generation of consumers that likely do not own a radio in the home — and may rarely use the AM/FM tuner in their vehicle.
But, unlike an in-dash receiver reliant on satellite, the dock-and-play radio is reliant on WiFi and data usage: “SiriusXM Tour can be connected to the Internet via WiFi connection in the home or mobile WiFi hotspot in the car.”
This guarantees the continued desire for OEM SiriusXM receivers, a benefit to SiriusXM, auto brands and dealers that pitch subscriptions to new vehicle owners as a bonus option.
Among the features that may be of interest to radio broadcasters found on the SiriusXM Tour are channel navigating and tuning via voice commands; personalized “For You” recommendations based on listening history and preferences; and an enhanced sports play-by-play offering that makes it easier to find the favorite teams when it is game time and displays games in progress with scores.
When can one purchase the SiriusXM Tour. It is “expected” to be available in May at retailers including Best Buy. However, it has not yet been authorized as required by the FCC, and that must come before the receiver is offered for sale.
The shared SiriusXM space with Voxx Electronics Corp. is tied to projects including the first SiriusXM-ready bluetooth integration kit, which saw its rollout in 2014 Honda vehicles. Voxx is one of several hardware manufacturers SiriusXM works with.
CES 2020 coverage for broadcast media professionals can be found in the Tech Roundup section of RBR.com and in the Weekly Tech Roundup newsletter, distributed Tuesdays at 8am Pacific as a free e-newsletter. To receive the Weekly Tech Roundup, click here.
