Sirius Satellite Radio recorded revenue of $242.2 million in 2005, compared to revenue of $66.9 million in 2004, the company reported Feb. 17. The gains were driven by a net subscriber increase of 2.2 million during 2005, driven by the addition of Howard Stern.

Sirius reported a net loss of $863 million in 2005, up from a loss of $712.2 million in 2004, driven by a 101 percent increase in subscriber acquisition costs reflecting higher shipments of radios and chip sets and increased commissions to support an increase in gross subscriber additions.

“2005 was our best year ever and a major milestone for Sirius, setting new records in subscribers, market share and revenue,” Mel Karmazin, the company’s CEO, said in a statement. “… In 2006, we believe this positive momentum will be further reflected in our automotive [original equipment manufacturer] channel, where we expect to more than double our subscriber base.”

Sirius expects to cross the 6-million subscriber mark by the end of 2006, as well as generate about $600 million in revenue in 2006 and $1 billion in 2007.