LITTLE ROCK, Ark.-XM Satellite Radio Corp. notched its first deal with a U.S. carrier, teaming with Alltel Corp. to offer 20 channels of commercial-free music.
The service, available for $8 a month, offers several music genres including pop, alternative, country, hip-hop and Latin. Users will be able to access data including song title, artist and album; the offering will be delivered by an application developed by MobiTV.
The announcement marks a long-awaited move into the U.S. mobile market for XM, which last month scored a similar deal with Canadian carrier Telus Mobility. XM competitor Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. offers 20 channels of programming through Sprint Nextel Corp.
“Customers are increasingly eager to access great, commercial-free music on their mobile phones,” said Adam Reyer, XM’s senior vice president of business development.
