SiriusXM Inks New Multi-Year Agreement with SmartLess Media, Including Powerhouse Flagship Podcast “SmartLess”

Today, SiriusXM announced a new, multi-year agreement with SmartLess Media and its founders, Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes, that will bring certain exclusive advertising and distribution rights, content, events, and more for their iconic flagship podcast SmartLess and select shows from the SmartLess Media slate to the audio entertainment company and its industry-leading SiriusXM Podcast Network. The deal will commence late in the summer.

As part of the new agreement, SiriusXM gains access to extensive exclusive content for its subscribers, consisting of 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, making it the only destination for fans to access the podcast’s complete catalog.

The award-winning “SmartLess” podcast was launched in July 2020 and is consistently among the top 5 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, the company’s advertising division, gains exclusive global ad sales rights to the “SmartLess” podcast hosted by Arnett, Bateman, and Hayes, as well as select SmartLess Media shows “Just Jack & Will,” “Bad Dates,” and “Owned.” The SiriusXM Podcast Network reaches 1 in 2 podcast listeners in the US each month, and with the addition of these SmartLess Media podcasts, it will be easier than ever for advertisers to tap into the power of podcasting at scale with ease, courtesy of SiriusXM Media.

“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. 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,” said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer, SiriusXM. “This groundbreaking new collaboration showcases our power to drive growth for an established podcast while bringing unique value back to our subscribers through exclusive content and events. I’m looking forward to new “SmartLess’' listeners discovering this one-of-a-kind trio’s inimitable style on SiriusXM, and for current fans to see what magic happens when we team up together.”

SmartLess Media joins the unparalleled 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,” Crooked Media and its hit “Pod Save America,” and many more, in addition to the company’s own award-winning shows such as “Office Ladies” and “How Did This Get Made?”.

Podcasts play a central role in the new SiriusXM app, which features transcription, playback speed adjustment, key moment markers, auto downloads, and an expanded library, with more to come in future releases. With discovery at the heart of the listening experience, SiriusXM offers a new platform for “SmartLess” to engage and connect with fans.

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.

About SmartLess Media

SmartLess Media is a joint venture between Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes. Off the success of their mega-hit podcast, SmartLess, the trio founded SmartLess Media to branch out and create more comedy content – for the podcast space and beyond. Every SmartLess Media show sits in the sweet spot between brain candy and hard comedy, much like the namesake podcast itself. SmartLess Media is partnered with the top marketing and distribution teams and produces shows in-house and with creative and production partners such as the hit shows Just Jack & Will, Bad Dates, Owned, and Reign of Error. Beyond podcasting, SmartLess Media delivers content to audiences through docuseries, live entertainment, and more. Richard Korson serves as President of SmartLess Media, working closely with founders Hayes, Bateman and Arnett.

About Sirius XM Holdings Inc.

SiriusXM is the leading audio entertainment company in North America with a portfolio of audio businesses including its flagship subscription entertainment service SiriusXM; the ad-supported and premium music streaming services of Pandora; an expansive podcast network; and a suite of business and advertising solutions. Reaching a combined monthly audience of approximately 150 million listeners, SiriusXM offers a broad range of content for listeners everywhere they tune in with a diverse mix of live, on-demand, and curated programming across music, talk, news, and sports. For more about SiriusXM, please go to: www.siriusxm.com.