SiriusXM announced a multiyear agreement with SmartLess Media and its founders — Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes — encompassing exclusive advertising and distribution rights, content, events and more for their popular flagship podcast “SmartLess” and other shows produced by the company.
SiriusXM’s deal with SmartLess Media will commence late in the summer. Terms of the pact weren’t disclosed. The three-year agreement is valued at more than $100 million, Bloomberg reported. The SmartLess trio currently have a deal with Amazon, which struck a deal in mid-2021 for exclusive distribution and ad-sales rights to “SmartLess” said to be worth up to $80 million.
Under the new agreement, SiriusXM will gains access to “extensive” exclusive content for subscribers. That includes early access to new episodes of “SmartLess” and SmartLess Media podcasts “Just Jack & Will,” “Bad Dates” and “Owned,” as well as the opportunity to be in the live audience for special tapings, and more. Additionally, the majority of the “SmartLess” library will be available exclusively to SiriusXM.
The award-winning “SmartLess” podcast was launched in July 2020 and is consistently among the top five most listened-to podcasts monthly. Guests have included President Joe Biden, Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Greta Gerwig, Idris Elba, Pedro Pascal, Selena Gomez, and many more. “SmartLess” is produced by Michael Grant Terry, Bennett Barbakow and Rob Amjärv.
SiriusXM Media gains exclusive global ad sales rights to the “SmartLess” podcast hosted as well as SmartLess Media’s “Just Jack & Will,” “Bad Dates” and “Owned.”
“At SiriusXM, we are proud to be home to the stars, and with Jason, Sean, and Will joining us, that statement has never been more true,” said Scott Greenstein, president and chief content officer at SiriusXM. “Over the past several years, we have doubled down on our commitment to podcasting, and with the addition of ‘SmartLess,’ we are strengthening our leadership position in podcasting.”
SmartLess Media joins the lineup of podcasts and media companies represented exclusively by SiriusXM Media, including: “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” and the complete Team Coco roster; Ashley Flowers’ Audiochuck featuring “Crime Junkie”; and Crooked Media and its hit “Pod Save America.” SiriusXM’s own shows include “Office Ladies” and “How Did This Get Made?”
The SmartLess Media deal was brokered by CAA. SmartLess Media was represented in the transaction by Adam Kaller, Tom Hoberman and Ryan Pastorek at Hansen Jacobson; Brian Lazarus and Ben Rubinfeld at Ziffren Brittenham; and Shelby Weiser and Robert Offer at Sloane, Offer, Weber and Dern.