Can a hit podcast translate into a hit phone company? The team behind SmartLess will find out.
SmartLess hosts and creators Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes are launching a new mobile phone brand called SmartLess Mobile Tuesday, betting that their success in reaching people through their phones can lead to a piece of the mobile business.
“Our SmartLess podcast now reaches millions of listeners each month, almost all of whom listen on their phones,” said Bateman in a statement. “Extending the SmartLess brand into mobile is a logical next step.”
It isn’t entirely crazy: While the trio of Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile are the dominant players, there is a burgeoning marketplace of smaller pre-paid options, and some of those have found meaningful success. In fact Mint Mobile, which counted Ryan Reynolds as an investor and co-founder, sold to T-Mobile in a $1.3 billion deal in 2023.
SmartLess Mobile is also working with wireless industry veterans Paul and Jeni McAleese, along with lead investor Thomvest Asset Management on the new venture. SmartLess Mobile is leveraging eSim technology, which lets users sign up or switch plans just by scanning a QR code.
“We’re not the industry, and we’re not trying to outsmart you,” Hayes added. “If you own your phone, spend most of your day on Wi-Fi, and are on an unlimited data plan, moving to SmartLess Mobile could literally cut your monthly bill in half. Seriously, if your phone bill knew how often you’re on Wi-Fi, it would be embarrassed.”
“It’s time for something to cost less,” added Arnett. “You’re paying for way more data than you use, and we’re pretty sure that Big Wireless isn’t going to let you know that your phone isn’t using their network the vast majority of the time. So, we’ll say it: If you’re using less, you should be spending less.
Celebrities have been able to leverage the opportunity of direct-to-consumer to launch a number of major businesses, and Arnett, Hayes and Bateman are just the latest in a long line of stars to do so. Just last month, in fact, Hailey Bieber cut a deal to sell her Rhode brand to e.l.f. Beauty in a billion dollar acquisition.
