Sirius says completes acquisition of XM Satellite

NEW YORK, July 29 (Reuters) - Sirius Satellite Radio (SIRI.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday said it completed its purchase of rival XM Satellite Radio Holding Inc XMSR.O, forming a broadcasting company that competes with traditional radio as well as digital audio players like iPods.

The completion comes after a marathon period of government scrutiny which ended late last week when the U.S. Federal Communications Commission approved the deal, which was first announced 17 months ago.

The new company will be named Sirius XM Radio, and will have more than 18.5 million subscribers. (Reporting by Franklin Paul; Editing by Derek Caney)