Topline
Spotify is renewing its multimillion dollar deal with podcaster Joe Rogan, the company confirmed on Thursday, extending its partnership with the host of the most popular program on the streaming service.
The podcaster’s previous deal with the streaming service was worth a reported $250 million.
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Key Facts
Spotify is entering another multi-year licensing deal with Rogan, the company confirmed on Thursday after the deal was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but sources told the Journal it would be similar to the deal Rogan signed in 2024 valued at an estimated $250 million.
The deal will still allow fans to watch or listen to the podcast on other platforms, including YouTube and Apple Podcasts.
Crucial Quote
“Spotify’s podcast business has grown alongside JRE over the years, and we’re excited to keep building on that partnership for years to come,” the company’s head of content partnerships Jordan Newman said in a statement sent to Forbes on Thursday. In his own statement, Rogan praised the partnership with Spotify as “an amazing fit, and they’re incredible to work with,” before adding “I’m extremely happy and excited to continue with them for years to come.”
Big Number
18 million. That’s how many Spotify users follow “The Joe Rogan Experience,” the company said in a blog post accompanying the news on Thursday. The show currently sits at the top of the streaming service’s podcast chart. The show has another 21.1 million subscribers on its YouTube channel.
Key Background
Rogan, a standup comedian, actor, former “Fear Factor” host and UFC commentator started “The Joe Rogan Experience” in 2009. The show primarily features long interviews with a wide range of guests, from other comedians to leaders and politicians—including President Donald Trump, who sat down for an interview with the podcaster shortly before the 2024 presidential election. Rogan has developed a large fanbase, but has also courted controversy in the past. In 2022 he issued an apology interviewing after COVID-19 vaccine skeptics, which also prompted some musicians like Neil Young to briefly pull their music from the streaming service. Although Rogan endorsed Trump right before the election, the podcaster has since criticized the president on a number of issues, including his handling of the Epstein files and the Iran war.
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