SmartLess
Owned by: Amazon
Latest news
- Aug 5: Amazon’s decision should be read alongside the performance of its other podcast acquisitions. Amazon bought podcast hosting company ART19 in June 2021, which has never achieved more than a 1% share of total episodes published, and currently hosts 3,900 shows (other enterprise hosts like Megaphone, Simplecast or Triton/Omny each host around 20,000). Amazon splashed $80mn on the SmartLess podcast: but that deal only lasted three years. Last year it spent $100mn for New Heights, promising international audio adaptations (which haven’t happened) and live events - there hasn’t been a live event for the show since Amazon’s ownership. Amazon Music started slowly adding podcasts in 2020; it has a 13% market share for music in the US, but achieves just a 1.6% share of US podcast downloads.
- Jun 11: The popular show SmartLess has launched a mobile phone company. The service is “smart” because it offers “less” data - the argument being that most people have wifi access so don’t need that much. The show’s hosts say that the SmartLess podcast reaches “millions” of Americans a month (Podscribe’s audience data suggests more than two million) and almost everyone uses their phone to listen.
- Apr 22: Exclusive: Podnews lists podcast winners for the 29th Annual Webby Awards today, including awards for Dan Taberski’s Hysterical, Conan O’Brien, New Heights and SmartLess. In our list, you’ll also see hosting companies and be able to listen to the trailers.
- Nov 18, 2024: SmartLess Presents ClueLess is an all-new bite-sized brain teaser podcast. Emmy-winning writer Elliott Kalan guides listeners through different puzzles, brain teasers, and conundrums, to see if they’re faster than this season’s permanent contestant, SmartLess co-host Sean Hayes. In each episode, Hayes will be joined by his close friends and family, who also share a love of games.
- Sep 19, 2024: SmartLess Media launches a brand new podcast today, with Meadowlark and SiriusXM. GoalLess: A Soccer Show is with UK comedian Russell Howard and CBS/MLS broadcaster Chris Wittyngham. Two episodes will be released each week.
Data credits: Podnews newsletter