Spotify has officially renewed its deal with Joe Rogan for his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, despite ongoing COVID-19 misinformation controversies. The new contract, estimated at $250 million, will allow Rogan to distribute his show on other platforms and includes a revenue-sharing agreement based on ad sales. While the specifics of the deal remain undisclosed, the streaming giant has made it clear that Rogan’s show is a top priority, despite the controversies surrounding it.
The decision to renew the contract comes in the midst of criticism regarding the spread of misinformation on Rogan’s podcast. His show, which consistently ranks as one of the most popular podcasts on Spotify, has attracted significant attention for hosting controversial figures and discussions surrounding conspiracy theories and politically sensitive topics. This has led to backlash from both listeners and professionals, with over 200 medical professionals petitioning Spotify to end the show.
This renewal also comes at a time when Spotify has been under fire for lowballing or not paying other content creators and artists, despite investing huge sums into publishing Rogan’s show. The streaming service’s decision to continue its partnership with Rogan has been met with criticism, particularly as it has paid more for his controversial podcast than for its Creator Equity Fund. Ultimately, the new deal demonstrates Spotify’s commitment to keeping Rogan’s show as a centerpiece of its podcast platform.
Constant COVID-19 misinformation isn’t enough to stop Spotify from renewing its deal with Joe Rogan’s podcast The Joe Rogan Experience. The former Fear Factor host and UFC color commentator is set to receive an estimated $250 million for an undisclosed multi-year contract.
Other details of the new contract include Rogan being able to distribute his show on other platforms and a revenue-sharing agreement that’s based on ad sales, according to the Wall Street Journal. The WSJ‘s report also states that Rogan’s new contract comes with a minimum guarantee but that number also remains undisclosed.
For the audio-streaming giant, renewing Rogan was a no-brainer as his show sits atop the most popular podcasts on the platform alongside esteemed company New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce and The Tucker Carlson Podcast. Despite being so popular, Rogan is a constant source of controversy. Along with the aforementioned COVID-19 misinformation that is regularly delivered on his podcast, Rogan has also faced criticism for hosting controversial figures and discussing topics that range from conspiracy theories to politically charged debates.
When Rogan signed his $200 million deal with Spotify in 2022, several artists left the platform and over 200+ medical professionals petitioned the service to put an end to the show. Nothing came of it then and nothing probably will now as Spotify has invested a lot of money into publishing Rogan, despite its issues in lowballing or outright not paying other content creators and artists.
Thus with this new deal, Spotify will have still paid more money to Rogan’s controversial podcast than it did for the $100 million of its Creator Equity Fund (i.e. the Joe Rogan apology fund).
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