SmartLess

SmartLess is an American comedy interview podcast hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett, launched in July 2020. The hosts interview guests from film, television, politics, science, and sports in an unscripted conversational format.

The podcast released its debut episode on July 20, 2020, with guest Dax Shepard. Each episode centers on a setup where one host invites a mystery guest whose identity remains unknown to the other two hosts until recording starts. In May 2021, the three hosts signed with Creative Artists Agency. In June 2021, Amazon acquired the podcast in a distribution and advertising deal valued at roughly $80 million, providing early access windows on Amazon Music and Wondery+ before wider public release.

In February 2022, the hosts completed a six-city North American live stage tour visiting theaters across Washington, Chicago, Boston, New York, Madison, and Los Angeles. A film crew recorded the road performances, resulting in the six-part documentary series SmartLess: On the Road, which premiered on Max in May 2023. At the 2022 Ambie Awards presented by the Podcast Academy, the show received nominations for Best Comedy Podcast and Podcast of the Year. In 2023, the production formed SmartLess Media to develop spin-off series.

SiriusXM acquired multi-year distribution and advertising rights to the show from Amazon in January 2024 in a transaction reported at $100 million. Notable guests across its run included President Joe Biden alongside prominent leaders in sports, journalism, and filmmaking. At the 2024 Golden Globe Awards, the series earned a nomination for Best Podcast. The iHeartRadio Podcast Awards named it Comedy Podcast of the Year in 2022, while the 2021 Webby Awards awarded it Best Comedy Podcast in the public vote.