satellite radio advertising

Why Advertise On Satellite Radio?

Satellite radio is an alternative to broadcast radio and digital radio that offers more coverage than terrestrial radio options. Satellite radio is typically available for a monthly subscription cost. Like terrestrial radio, satellite radio listeners can consume music, news, talk, and other programming.

Satellite radio broadcasts can also include text such as song titles and advertiser information that listeners can see on their vehicle dashboard.

Satellite radio advertising has several distinct benefits over broadcast media.

•  Satellite radio customers are more likely to be more interested in radio since they pay for the service.
•  The large reach of satellite radio allows advertisers to send a consistent message to a broader population segment.
•  Customers for premium satellite radio are more likely to be early adopters of technology and willing to pay a premium for better service.
•  A large number of channels available to satellite radio customers allows advertisers to target narrow segments of the population with tailored messages.

Where Can My Ads Run On Satellite Radio?

Satellite radio reaches over 100 million listeners through car radios, apps, and internet radio. As they do in traditional broadcast radio ads, advertisers can buy blocks of airtime for premium channels that run ads. Satellite radio advertising can range from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars for popular radio shows like Howard Stern and Hannity. Here are some of the places your ads can run on satellite radio.

Advertising On SiriusXM

SiriusXM offers a wide range of free and premium channels to radio customers through multiple device platforms. Since the merger of Sirius and XM in 2001, SiriusXM radio has risen to the top of the satellite radio charts.

There are hundreds of channels on SiriusXM that target very clearly defined audiences. You have channels that focus on specific sports, specific genres of music, and even feature specific celebrities and DJ’s – for example, Howard Stern.

Advertising On Pandora

Pandora began in 2000 as an internet music provider. Its core benefit is personalization. Pandora listeners receive music that the site’s algorithms select specifically for them based on their listening choices.

Sirius acquired Pandora in 2019 and includes the service for free to their customers. Sirius also offers Pandora NOW, a channel that plays music that has been particularly popular among Pandora users. The free Pandora app and website also provides video and audio.

Last.fm

Last.fm is a service that allows listeners to keep track of and organize their music and connect with other listeners. Like Pandora, it makes recommendations based on each user’s listening history.

Popular Categories to Run Ads During

Talk Shows

Talk shows are a core radio product in the 21st century. Talk show hosts like Howard Stern and Rush Limbaugh succeeded not only in drawing listeners but in defining cultural norms. Advertisers constantly seek deep emotional triggers and gateways to emotional branding and enduring brand loyalty. Talk shows touch the heart and drive the pulse of American culture.

News Shows

FOX News, CNN, NPR Now, and other Sirius XM radio channels reach millions of listeners nationwide with informative, engaging, and entertaining programming. A key benefit of news advertising is that the audience self-sorts into segments based on political and social beliefs, making it easy to target political advertising and cultural advertising content to a particular type of listener.

Sports Shows

ESPN and other sports channels are influential and draw large audiences. Sports fans tend to share certain behavioral and psychological traits, such as excitement and the need to affiliate themselves with groups.

Lifestyle

Many satellite radio stations discuss and embody specific social and cultural demographics. These channels set trends and feature thought leaders and influencers within cultural groups that might be key to particular advertising campaigns. Examples of popular lifestyle programming on SiriusXM include Rural Radio and Sway’s Universe, featuring the rapper and journalist Sway Calloway.

Entertainment

A cornucopia of entertainment programming awaits satellite radio listeners, from niche music channels (such as the Beatles channel) to comedy programming (like NPR’s Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me). Entertainment channels often appeal to specific target audiences, making these channels ideal for tailored messaging.

Popular Satellite Channels to Advertise On

Howard Stern Radio

Howard Stern has ranked among the most popular and controversial radio show hosts for decades. Since his move to satellite radio in 2006, he has maintained and grown a wide audience across America. Advertisers willing to pay top dollar will reap the benefit of access to millions of loyal, attentive listeners.

Political Talk Radio

Political talk radio has also been a prominent force in modern radio. Thought leaders across the political spectrum have used airwaves and satellite radio to spread their messages and commentary. Popular political channels on Sirius include POTUS Politics and Faction Talk, and Sirius also offers news coverage by CNN, Fox News, and other channels.

Alt Nation

Alt Nation plays all of the hottest new Alternative Rock Music on the charts today. They play popular alt-rock bands like Muse, The Black Keys, Silversun Pickups, and more. Alt Nation is a great channel to run ads on to reach an engaged, younger audience. In addition to Alt Nation, SiriusXM features many other specialized music channels for genres like hip hop, country, jam bands, classical music, and more.

Barstool Sports Radio

If you love sports radio you’ll love Barstool Sports Radio. Barstool Sports Radio features satirical sports talk and sports news that resonate well with young adult audiences. They have a number of popular shows with celebrity hosts that each has very dedicated audiences. In addition to Barstool, there are a number of other sports radio stations that resonate well with older listeners.

Why Are Satellite Radio Ads So Popular?

Pundits and commentators have discussed the revolutionary power of the internet at great length over the past thirty years. The customizability, scale, and interactivity of the medium, as well as the development of internet communities, have transformed marketing from a product-centered field to one in which the consumer has taken the driver’s seat.

The development of satellite radio in tandem with other innovations such as video streaming services marks an era defined by audiovisual experiences mediated by internet connectivity. Gone are the days when the consumer’s primary means of control was to turn a dial or press a button on a remote. Satellite radio takes radio and radio advertising into this new age.

Why are these products so popular with audiences, and why do they fit so well into 21st-century advertising campaigns? These key features are core benefits of satellite radio services.

Large Reach

Broadcast radio has traditionally only reached as far as their radio transmitter and the FCC allowed it to. This meant that radio advertisers could only market to a narrow geographic area unless they wanted to buy spots on dozens or hundreds of stations. Radio listeners on long road trips, a key audience demographic, often had to channel-hop as they left the range of the station they had been listening to.

Satellite radio has national and international reach by bouncing the signal off commercial satellites. Drivers can continue to listen to their favorite channels without interruption, and people moving across the country or traveling can count on the same offerings.

Cost-Effective

One of the challenges in managing an advertising budget is knowing which media channels are likely to yield the best return on investment. Radio advertisement spots are typically less expensive to produce than TV ads or streaming video ads. Operational costs for a TV station tend to be higher than radio, which pushes up advertising costs.

Reach Business Owners & Decision Makers

Consider the demographics and context for radio versus TV audiences. TV is a medium that requires the audience to both listen and watch, making it hard to conduct serious business when watching TV. Radio leaves the audience free to read, think, and evaluate information. It goes on during drive-time as well as throughout the workday when influential business leaders make vital decisions.

Buying Remnant Satellite Radio Spots

At The Remnant Agency, we specialize in buying highly efficient, low-cost satellite radio ad spots as they are about to expire unsold. When a station has an advertising spot that has not been sold by the broadcast time, it would have to either omit that spot entirely or include a placeholder or “bonus” ad to current advertisers. The missed opportunity costs the channel crucial advertising revenue.

In an effort to mitigate the loss of revenue, satellite radio providers will sell the unsold spots at a significant discount as “remnant” spots. While you may think that these spots will only be during less popular shows, we are actually able to purchase remnant ad spots on some of the most popular shows on satellite radio.

Remnant advertising is a cost-effective plank of marketing strategy for:

• Brands and businesses looking to maximize their ROAS
• Social issues campaign advertising targeting large portions of the population
• Seasonal advertising for products with appeal across a wide demographic
• Time-sensitive advertisements for upcoming events.

We’ve run remnant advertising campaigns for brands and businesses around the country, generating more than $2 billion in revenue for our clients along the way. We have the industry experience to keep costs low and provide expert advice and service to our clients.

Contact The Remnant Agency today to discover how we can boost your ROAS with remnant ads.