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Sirius Satellite Radio said the number of subscribers to its service rose to more than 2.17 million in the third quarter.

The New York company added 359,000 net subscribers in the quarter, a 97 percent increase over the same period a year ago. So far this year, Sirius has added more than a million subscribers, company officials said this week.

"With the traditionally heavy holiday selling period coming up, we fully expect demand for our service to accelerate significantly through the remainder of the year," Mel Karmazin, chief executive of Sirius, said.

To help drive more growth, the company is launching new programming that will include Martha Stewart Living Radio later this year and shock jock Howard Stern in January. Nascar coverage is scheduled to start in 2007.

Sirius expects to end the year with 3 million subscribers.

Last month, Sirius rival XM Satellite Radio, based in Washington, D.C., said it has topped 5 million subscribers, and expects to the end year with more than 6 million.

XM and Sirius, which have signed deals with automakers to carry radios supporting their services, have been spending heavily on new programming to attract subscribers. Upcoming XM programming include the World Series, the debut of National Hockey League games, and the launch of Take Five, a 24-hour talk radio channel aimed at women.