Pandora in talks to expand car service
SAN FRANCISCO - Internet-radio provider Pandora Media Inc. plans to add its service to more cars and Blu-ray DVD players as the company tries to expand its audience by taking advantage of the growth in Web-enabled devices.
The company is in talks to form more partnerships like the one announced Thursday with Ford Motor Co. to put the service in four of its vehicles, Pandora founder Tim Westergren said in an interview at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas. More than 50 percent of music listening takes place in cars, he said.
“That has been the Holy Grail for us for a long time,’’ Westergren said of getting the service in more cars. “It signals an important new era for Web radio.’’
Closely held Pandora turned a profit for the first time in its 10-year history during the fourth quarter after more than doubling its revenue in 2009, he said.
The Oakland, Calif., company generates more than 90 percent of its sales from advertising and is benefiting from growing use of Web-enabled devices such as Apple Inc.’s iPhone and Motorola Inc.’s Droid phone, which uses Google Inc.’s software, he said.
Pandora also is seeing high activation rates from people using the service on Blu-ray players and other Web-connected home entertainment hubs, Westergren said.
“We’re trying to get everywhere,’’ he said. The Pandora service is even available on one model of digital picture frames, he said.
