July 31 (Reuters) - SiriusXM on Thursday

reported a smaller-than-expected quarterly decline in

subscribers who pay directly, aided by strong demand for its

exclusive content, especially podcasts, and a deal with popular

television host Trevor Noah.

The audio entertainment company's performance was also

boosted by agreements with automotive dealers to offer

three-year subscriptions for in-built car radios, partnerships

with electric vehicle makers and the launch of its Podcasts+

package.

The company lost 68,000 self-pay subscribers in the second

quarter, compared with a decrease of 303,000 in the

January-March period. This was also better than estimated losses

of 176,840 by Visible Alpha.

SiriusXM's podcast segment was the highlight for the

quarter, with revenue rising 50% year-on-year.

During the reported quarter, the company also signed a new

agreement with television host Trevor Noah to launch an original

podcast spanning comedy, culture and current events.

SiriusXM posted second-quarter revenue of $2.14 billion,

largely in line-with with analysts' average estimate of $2.13

billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.

Net income for the quarter stood at $205 million, compared

with $354 million a year ago.

Revenue from its Pandora and Off-platform segments fell 3%

in the quarter, mainly due to smaller subscriber base and

reduced demand for music streaming.