Armchair Expert was launched "on a lark" after Shepard had positive experiences as a guest on other podcasts, appreciating the length of time the format allowed compared to the typical brief segment on a talk show. It was the most downloaded new podcast of 2018 on
iTunes. Shepard's goal is to give people the "experience of an
AA meeting without them having to become a drunk". In 2020,
Forbes named
Armchair Expert the fourth highest-earning podcast in the United States, estimating its earnings that year at $9 million, with a monthly audience of 20 million people. On May 12, 2021,
Armchair Expert announced on
Instagram that the podcast would be available exclusively on
Spotify beginning July 1, saying they would continue to maintain the same creative control over the show after the move. On June 18, 2021, on
Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Shepard and Padman revealed that former President
Barack Obama would be their first guest once the podcast moves to Spotify. In July 2024, the podcast announced they have signed a distribution and ad sales deal with Amazon's
Wondery. Throughout the years, Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard has included several other programs underneath the Armchair Umbrella. Rob Holysz is the co-creator and producer of Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard along with all additional Armchair Umbrella shows. A current show underneath the Armchair Umbrella is Armchair Anonymous with Dax Shepard and Monica Padman. Previous shows include Flightless Bird with New Zealander
David Farrier and Synced with Monica Padman and
Liz Plank. ==Episodes==