Spotify needed Joe Rogan. And Joe Rogan needed Spotify. So they're sticking together.
Business InsiderFeb 02
Joe Rogan, Spotify Reach New $250M Deal
The Facts
Streaming platform Spotify has signed a multi-year contract with Joe Rogan, the host of "The Joe Rogan Experience" (JRE) podcast. The deal — estimated to be worth upwards of $250M — includes a guaranteed upfront payment, ad revenue sharing, and allows the podcast to be broadcast on other platforms like YouTube.
Spotify's first contract with Rogan — signed in 2020 and reportedly valued at over $200M — made the podcast a Spotify exclusive, as JRE has remained the number one podcast on the platform. Spotify has spent over $1B on podcast endeavors, including contracts with Kim Kardashian and the Obamas.
The Spin
Left narrative
Unfortunately, Spotify has become reliant on conspiracy theory-loving Joe Rogan to keep its podcasting business alive. As the company narrows its list of podcast deals to a few big names, it's clearly looking to ride the wave of ad-based revenue no matter who's bringing it in. While some of the artists who left Spotify in protest have chosen principle over money, it seems Spotify itself is acting out of corporate greed.
Right narrative
Joe Rogan has remained his normal, liberal self throughout his entire podcasting career — it's the left that has moved further and further away from reality. The reason Rogan has faced such high-profile 'scandals' isn't because he's far-right, but because he refuses to comply with woke America. The Joe Rogan Experience offers what the leftists hate: an honest, open forum full of diverse ideas — something too good for Spotify to pass up on.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that a song will have been streamed 4 billion times on Spotify by Feb. 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.