Don’t let anyone tell you that the podcast space is dead. At least not if you already have a major podcast hosted by three of Hollywood’s best. SiriusXM today announced a new, multi-year agreement with the SmartLess podcast (via its parent company, SmartLess Media) and founders Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes “that will bring certain exclusive advertising and distribution rights, content, events, and more.”
SmartLess already is available on SiriusXM, but the new deal means the company is moving from Amazon — with which it signed in 2021, a year after the original SmartLess podcast launch — to the SiriusXM Podcast Network. Bloomberg reported the deal is worth more than $100 million.
The new deal goes into effect “late in the summer,” according to the SiriusXM press release. It’ll give SiriusXM Media the rights to sell advertising globally for SmartLess, Just Jack & Will, Bad Dates, and Owned, and to make new episodes available to SiriusXM subscribers early, before they hit the feeds. And the “majority of the SmartLess library” will become exclusive to SiriusXM.
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“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,” Scott Greenstein, president and chief content officer of SiriusXM, said in a press release. “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. 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.”
The SmartLess signing comes amid the new era of SiriusXM, which the company unveiled in late 2023. SmartLess joins a podcast stable that also includes giants like Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, Ashley Flowers’ Crime Junkie, Crooked Media, Pod Save America, and more.
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