Sirius XM keeps it simple—just milk that subscription revenue. Last year they pulled in $6.6 billion from monthly fees alone, which is basically 76% of their total $8.7 billion revenue. The rest? Ads from their Pandora subsidiary ($1.8B, about 20%) and random equipment sales. Unlike traditional FM radio that’s free-to-air, this company’s entire model revolves on getting people to pay $10-25 monthly for satellite radio access in their cars.
The Real Problem: Streaming Is Slowly Eating Their Lunch
Fast forward to today—it’s not 2004 anymore. Back then, Howard Stern hype made satellite radio the future. Now? Spotify and smartphone streaming are the actual threat. Sirius XM still has 32.8 million subscribers as of Q3 2025, but here’s the kicker: they peaked at 34.9 million seven years ago. Revenue has been sliding for three straight years, even though churn sits at a manageable 1.6%. It’s a slow-motion fade, not a cliff dive—but fade nonetheless.
The Berkshire Hathaway Plot Twist
Here’s where it gets interesting. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway now owns 37% of Sirius XM—and they’ve been buying since summer 2024, not selling. Why? Because the Old Guard sees value in the “boring.”
Sirius XM may suck as a growth story, but it’s a decent value play:
Generates north of $1 billion in free cash flow annually
Trades below 7x forward earnings
Yields a juicy 5.3%
The debt load is real, and long-term viability has question marks, but having Berkshire in your corner is like having the ultimate co-signer.
The Bottom Line
Sirius XM isn’t sexy. It’s not growing. But it’s profitable, generates cash, pays decent dividends, and has the world’s most famous value investor backing it. Whether that’s enough to make you buy depends on whether you’re chasing growth or income. Just know what you’re actually buying—a mature, stable cash cow slowly losing market share to better tech.
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Is Sirius XM Stock Worth Your Money? Here's What You Actually Need to Know
The Money Game: Where SIRI Makes Its Cash
Sirius XM keeps it simple—just milk that subscription revenue. Last year they pulled in $6.6 billion from monthly fees alone, which is basically 76% of their total $8.7 billion revenue. The rest? Ads from their Pandora subsidiary ($1.8B, about 20%) and random equipment sales. Unlike traditional FM radio that’s free-to-air, this company’s entire model revolves on getting people to pay $10-25 monthly for satellite radio access in their cars.
The Real Problem: Streaming Is Slowly Eating Their Lunch
Fast forward to today—it’s not 2004 anymore. Back then, Howard Stern hype made satellite radio the future. Now? Spotify and smartphone streaming are the actual threat. Sirius XM still has 32.8 million subscribers as of Q3 2025, but here’s the kicker: they peaked at 34.9 million seven years ago. Revenue has been sliding for three straight years, even though churn sits at a manageable 1.6%. It’s a slow-motion fade, not a cliff dive—but fade nonetheless.
The Berkshire Hathaway Plot Twist
Here’s where it gets interesting. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway now owns 37% of Sirius XM—and they’ve been buying since summer 2024, not selling. Why? Because the Old Guard sees value in the “boring.”
Sirius XM may suck as a growth story, but it’s a decent value play:
The debt load is real, and long-term viability has question marks, but having Berkshire in your corner is like having the ultimate co-signer.
The Bottom Line
Sirius XM isn’t sexy. It’s not growing. But it’s profitable, generates cash, pays decent dividends, and has the world’s most famous value investor backing it. Whether that’s enough to make you buy depends on whether you’re chasing growth or income. Just know what you’re actually buying—a mature, stable cash cow slowly losing market share to better tech.