SiriusXM is launching a standalone podcast service called SiriusXM Podcasts+ available through Apple Podcasts. Beginning this month, the new ad-free service, described as a “premium listening experience for some of the biggest shows on the SiriusXM Podcast Network” will stream to more than 50 countries, including the U.S. and Canada with exclusive bonus content and early access to new episodes. Participating shows at launch include “SmartLess” and “Literally! with Rob Lowe,” as well as select programs from the Freakonomics Radio Network. SiriusXM Podcasts+ is priced at $5.99 per month or $44.99 annually, directly through Apple Podcasts.

Engadget points out that “none of the content is exclusive, however, as you’ll still be able to check out these podcasts via numerous other platforms.” In addition to “SmartLess,” featuring hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes, programming at launch includes “Andy Cohen’s Daddy Diaries,” “The Joel Osteen Podcast,” and “Last Podcast on the Left.”

Additional podcasts are expected to join the subscription offering later this year, Sirius says in an announcement specifying that “transcripts of the podcasts, offering full-text display for each episode making them easier to navigate and accessible for the deaf and hearing impaired, will be available in Apple Podcasts.”

SiriusXM explains the premium experience “will expand to other platforms in the coming weeks,” adding that “many of these benefits will also be available to existing SiriusXM subscribers directly through the SiriusXM app.”

“SiriusXM has become a major player in the podcast space, which makes sense given that satellite radio talk shows are basically podcasts by another name,” Engadget writes, noting that “this move could continue that trend.”

Apple makes its Apple Podcasts app “available on Apple’s mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad, as well as on Macs and Apple TV 4K,” Digital Trends points out, taking issue with the fact that “the word ‘podcast,’ which was originally intended to refer to a series of content beamed out into the world via an open standard, now has no meaning.”

But the numbers are indeed meaningful. “The global podcasting market size was valued at $2.22 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow from $2.84 billion in 2023 to $17.59 billion by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 29.8 percent during the forecast period,” according to Fortune Business Insights.

The Sirius move “comes soon after MSNBC launched a podcast subscription offering through Apple, as well, called MSNBC Premium. Both are attempting to tap into loyal fans of their content to gauge interest in expanding subscription offers,” reports The Wrap.