Mel's Mega Merger: XMSR and SIRI combine!


Well the long anticipated merger looks like it's finally going to happen. Today XM Satellite Radio Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ XMSR) and Sirius Satellite Radio, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) announced that they're combining and Mel Karmazin, SIRI's CEO will end up as CEO of the new firm.

Both satellite radio companies have been losing money as they tried to gain new customers. Now, they estimate that combined they will be able to save $7 billion annually in marketing and other costs. If you just add the two companies together you have $1.4 billion in revenue and $1.9 billion in losses so those costs savings better happen.

The new home of Howard Stern, Frank Sinatra, NASCAR, Oprah Winfrey, Bob Dylan and Major League Baseball will have 12 million subscribers.

Since SIRI's market capitalization of $5.2 billion is $1.45 billion bigger than XMSR's $3.75 billion, it makes sense for Mel to come out on top. But it will take about 15 months for the deal to get approved.

Now let's hope that the new combined company can make money.

Peter Cohan is President of Peter S. Cohan & Associates, a management consulting and venture capital firm, He also teaches management at Babson College and edits The Cohan Letter. He has no financial interest in SIRI or XMSR.

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