XM CONTINUES EXCLUSIVE BROADCASTS OF INDY RACING LEAGUE
“The XM Satellite Radio Indy 300″ season opener to air on XM’s IndyCar Series Racing channel with special coverage on XM Sports Nation
Washington, DC- XM Satellite Radio, the nation’s leading satellite radio service, will kick off its third year as the official satellite radio network of the Indy Racing League (IRL) with its broadcast of the 2007 IRL IndyCarR Series season opener, The XM Satellite Radio Indy 300. The race will be broadcast live on XM’s IndyCar Series Racing channel (XM 145) from the Homestead-Miami Speedway, Saturday, March 24. XM Satellite Radio is the exclusive home to racing’s biggest stars.
Additionally, a special edition of the XM motorsports show “Powershift” with Joe Castello will air from the track 6-7 p.m. ET on XM Sports Nation (XM 144) March 24, featuring Indy drivers Danica Patrick, Tony Kanaan, Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon.
The entire 2007 IRL racing season, including the 91st Indianapolis 500 on May 27, will be broadcast live and nationwide on XM 145. Motorsports fans will be able to hear pre-race programming, including interviews and commentary, as well as live wheel-to-wheel action on the track.
XM will also return to the IRL as a major associate sponsor of the Andretti Green Racing’s (AGR) No. 7 Honda-powered Dallara to be driven by Danica Patrick, the 2005 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year. 2007 will be Patrick’s first season running for Andretti Green Racing. The Andretti Green team will host “The Andretti Green Racing Hour,” a one-hour show featuring the Andretti Green drivers as well as team co-owner and open wheel racing legend Michael Andretti, to air exclusively on XM Satellite Radio beginning this month.
“Motorsports and music deliver a powerful adrenaline rush, and we are excited to bring the best of both to open-wheel race fans around the country,” said Howard Jacobs, senior vice president, strategic partnership marketing for XM Satellite Radio. “Whether fans are tuning in live at the track, at home, or on the road, they will not miss a second of the action.”
“When it comes to world-class talent, performance and technology, nothing compares to The IndyCar Series and XM Satellite Radio,” said Mike Ringham, vice president for marketing, Indy Racing League. “In addition to guaranteed great racing, we are also tremendously excited to introduce new generations of fans to the IRL, thanks to XM’s free concert series.”
“The XM Satellite Radio Indy 300 promises to draw an enormous crowd of IRL fans to the Homestead-Miami Speedway in South Florida. For those that can’t make it to the track, we’re pleased that they will be able to enjoy the action wherever they might be through their XM radios,” said Curtis Gray, president, Homestead-Miami Speedway. “IRL fans can expect an action-packed season of racing on the track and on-air.”
XM is also sponsoring the “XM Satellite Radio XM Speed Jam,” a one-day festival to kick off the IRL IndyCar Series season on Saturday, March 24. The festival will feature a pre-race concert from the explosive Australian rock band Jet beginning at 5:30 p.m. The festival fee is included in the Indy 300 admission ticket.
XM is the sports leader in satellite radio with more than 5,000 live sporting events a year, plus exclusive XM shows hosted by NASCAR champions Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jimmie Johnson, baseball legend Cal Ripken, and Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski. In addition to live coverage of IndyCar Series races, XM airs Major League Baseball, college basketball and football, the PGA TOUR, the National Hockey League, and the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament. XM also carries the sports talk channels XM Sports Nation, ESPN Radio, ESPNews Radio, and Fox Sports Radio.
About XM Satellite Radio
XM (Nasdaq: XMSR) is America’s number one satellite radio service with more than 7.6 million subscribers. Broadcasting live daily from studios in Washington, DC, New York City, Chicago and Nashville at the Country Music Hall of Fame, XM offers 170 digital channels of choice from coast to coast: commercial-free music channels, premier sports, talk, comedy, children’s and entertainment programming; and the most advanced traffic and weather information.
XM, the leader in satellite-delivered entertainment and data services for the automobile market through partnerships with General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Porsche Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota, is available in 140 different vehicle models for 2007. XM’s industry-leading products are available at consumer electronics retailers nationwide. For more information about XM hardware, programming and partnerships, please visit http://www.xmradio.com.