- SmartLess podcasters Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett are bringing their talent to the mobile space
- Their podcast reaches millions of listeners each month and most of them are tuning in via their phones
- It’s a logical extension – and one that emphasizes how most data is consumed over Wi-Fi and not cellular
Look out, wireless world. Three famous comedic actors and successful podcasters – Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett – are hitting the mobile space with a new wireless phone service called SmartLess Mobile.
The name comes from their podcast SmartLess, which attracts millions of listeners each month.
Their schtick? SmartLess Mobile says most people are overpaying for unlimited data plans they don’t actually need or use, challenging the industry norm that “more data” equals “better value.” It leverages eSIM technology, unlocked phones and a digital-only sales strategy that taken all together promise big savings for consumers.
SmartLess Mobile also says it’s “BS-free,” which is reminiscent of the scrappy old T-Mobile that promised the same. Now, it’s SmartLess Mobile making that promise as an MVNO using T-Mobile’s network.
Not all MVNOs are permitted, by contract, to publicly call out their network partner, but SmartLess Wireless does so loud and proud on its website – while (smartly) not disparaging T-Mobile like it does the other two wireless titans.
“We’re a new kind of mobile company,” SmartLess Mobile states. “We’ll help you cut your bill, cut screen time and cut the B.S. You won’t hear that from Verizon or AT&T.”
SmartLess Mobile’s strategy sounds similar to another MVNO, MobileX, that evaluates a consumer’s data usage and only sells them what they need. That MVNO uses Verizon’s network and was founded by Peter Adderton, who established the Boost Mobile brand in Australia and later in the U.S. EchoStar, through Dish Network, now owns Boost in the U.S.
SmartLess founders include wireless industry veterans Paul McAleese, who led Shaw Communications in Canada and co-founded i-wireless, and Jeni McAleese, who is chief brand officer at SmartLess. Thomvest Asset Management is the lead investor.
SmartLess emphasizes Wi-Fi
SmartLess Mobile does something else we’ve seen cable companies do time and time again, which is to point out how most of a mobile phone’s data use happens over Wi-Fi, whether that be at home, work, school or through millions of hotspots across the country.
"We're not the industry, and we're not trying to outsmart you," Hayes said in a statement. "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."
Other celebrities have leveraged their popularity to market wireless companies. Ryan Reynolds remains the face for the Mint Mobile brand after having sold it to T-Mobile for $1.35 billion in 2024.
“We are definitely seeing a trend towards more use of celebrity endorsements,” Jeff Moore, principal of Wave7 Research, told Fierce, noting that PureTalk recently introduced Mike Rowe as a spokesman and Consumer Cellular features Ted Danson in its advertising. Other celebrity endorsements include Julius (Dr. J) Erving at FreedomPop and Daymond John of “Shark Tank” at RedPocket Mobile.
For sure, with plans starting at $15/month for 5 GB of data, SmartLess Mobile is competitively priced. It’s a bring-your-own-device service and doesn’t have the overhead of operating any retail stores.
Granted, selling a mobile phone service only online can be challenging, “but having a podcast with millions of listeners does provide a competitive advantage,” Moore concluded.