Joe Rogan, the host of the number-one podcast on Spotify, has agreed to a deal estimated to be worth up to $250 million with the audio streaming giant.
Under the deal, “The Joe Rogan Experience” (JRE) will also be distributed across multiple platforms, including YouTube, instead of streaming exclusively on Spotify, The Wall Street Journal reported. The new deal comes after Spotify’s first agreement with Rogan in 2020 when the host signed a $100 million that gave the company exclusive rights to his show.
“The Joe Rogan Experience debuted in 2009, has been a Spotify exclusive since 2020, and we’re just getting started,” Spotify said in a statement announcing the deal. “Today we announced our new multiyear partnership deal with JRE. There’s so much more ahead, including that the show will soon be available on additional platforms. JRE remains podcasting’s king, consistently ranking as the most-listened-to podcast globally and our users have ranked the show as Spotify’s Wrapped top podcast each year since 2020.”
Rogan has recorded over 2,200 episodes of “JRE” since launching it 15 years ago. On the podcast, the host interviews guests who have expertise on nearly any topic, from military and intelligence experts to comedians and survivalists. Rogan has also interviewed Daily Wire hosts Ben Shapiro, Matt Walsh, and Candace Owens on his show.
“There’s no script of what we’re going to talk about, and it all just sort of happens in real time,” Rogan said in a Spotify blog post. “It’s just an actual organic conversation with people enjoying themselves, which is something we all can relate to, and something we all love to do. These conversations have changed the way I think about life immeasurably and continue to do so. I feel extremely fortunate to be able to do it.”
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The show’s open discussion format has thrown Rogan into the middle of controversy in the past, especially during the COVID pandemic when the host discussed treating COVID with ivermectin and criticized mask and vaccine mandates. In 2022, multiple artists pulled their content from Spotify over Rogan’s comments on COVID and the vaccines. Responding to the backlash, Spotify created a new coronavirus information hub, which appeared under content that addressed COVID.