Sports Icon Mark Messier Signs Marketing Agreement With XM Satellite Radio


XM to be Sole Presenting Sponsor of New York Rangers Ceremony to Retire Messier's Jersey as the Official Satellite Radio Partner of the Rangers

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Mark Messier, one of sports' all-time legendary leaders, has signed a marketing agreement with XM Satellite Radio, the nation's leading satellite radio company with more than five million subscribers, to promote XM's nationwide broadcasts of National Hockey League (NHL) games and XM's exclusive NHL talk radio channel Home Ice.

In addition, XM will be the sole presenting sponsor of the New York Rangers' on-ice ceremony to retire Messier's No. 11 jersey at Madison Square Garden prior to the Rangers - Edmonton Oilers game on January 12. The sponsorship is part of a multi-year marketing agreement with the Rangers that makes XM the official satellite radio partner of the team.

"I'm an XM subscriber and a big fan of the service, so I was excited about the prospect of working with the company," Messier said. "XM is the number- one satellite radio company. It has the most music choices and the most live sports, and now it has NHL games and a 24-hour hockey talk channel. You can't beat it."

Known simply as "The Captain," Messier is as renowned for his leadership skills as his incredible list of on-ice accomplishments. The 16-time NHL All- Star leaves the game ranking second on the NHL's all-time scoring list with 1,887 points. He holds the distinction of being the only player to captain two different franchises -- the Rangers and the Oilers -- to Stanley Cup championships; he won six Stanley Cup championships in total.

Messier will promote XM in a variety of print, broadcast, online, and in- store marketing campaigns aimed at sports fans. He will make regular appearances on Home Ice (XM Channel 204), including an exclusive, in-depth interview to air in January.

"Mark Messier is an icon whose talent and leadership represent the very best that sports have to offer," said Howard Jacobs, Senior Vice President, Strategic Partnership Marketing, XM Satellite Radio. "As the newest member of the XM family, Mark will play an important role in promoting our unmatched line-up of sports programming, including the most comprehensive coverage of the National Hockey League on the radio."

In addition to XM's sole sponsorship of the Rangers' ceremony to retire Messier's jersey in January, the XM/Rangers marketing agreement includes a variety of customized activities to promote XM radios and XM's broad range of sports, music, news, talk and entertainment programming at various Rangers home games, including on-site sales, signage, and listening stations at Madison Square Garden.

XM began broadcasting live NHL games in October as part of a ten-year deal with the league. XM will become the exclusive satellite radio home of the NHL beginning with the 2007-2008 season.

About XM Satellite Radio
XM (NASDAQ:XMSR) is America's number one satellite radio service with more than 5 million subscribers. Broadcasting live daily from studios in Washington, DC, New York City and Nashville at the Country Music Hall of Fame, XM offers 160 digital channels of choice from coast to coast: the most commercial-free music channels, plus 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, Toyota, Hyundai, Nissan and Volkswagen/Audi, is available in more than 130 different vehicle models for 2006. 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/.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements in this press release include demand for XM Satellite Radio's service, the Company's dependence on technology and third party vendors, its potential need for additional financing, as well as other risks described in XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.'s Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on 11-7-05. Copies of the filing are available upon request from XM Radio's Investor Relations Department.

Source: XM Satellite Radio

CONTACT: David Butler of XM Satellite Radio, +1-202-380-4317, david.butler@xmradio.com

Web site: http://www.xmradio.com/

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