Jan 30 (Reuters) - Audio company Sirius XM

exceeded fourth-quarter revenue estimates on Thursday, driven by

steady demand for its live sports shows, which became popular

over the 2024-2025 NBA season and the inaugural 12-team college

football playoff last year.

The audio entertainment provider is also benefiting from its

partnerships with car manufacturers including Toyota ( TM )

and Lexus by securing in-car access, allowing car buyers to

leverage free trial subscriptions to Sirius XM's satellite radio

services.

The company launched its service in the fourth quarter in

select Tesla and Rivian models, as part of

each company's holiday update.

Sirius XM's self-pay subscribers rose 149,000 in the quarter

ending Dec. 31, compared with a rise of 131,000 a year ago.

Visible Alpha had estimated a 136,780 increase.

Its fourth-quarter churn, which is the rate of customers who

stopped using its services, was 1.5% among self-pay users

compared to 1.6% a year ago, while paid promotional subscribers

declined by 79,000.

Sirius XM reported fourth-quarter revenue of $2.19 billion,

marginally above analysts' average estimate of $2.17 billion,

according to data compiled by LSEG.

Advertising revenue in the reported quarter was $477

million, above analysts' average expectation of $309.7 million.

The company posted a quarterly net profit of $287 million,

compared with $228 million a year earlier.