Spotify has signed a new blockbuster deal with polarizing podcaster and comedian Joe Rogan, but this time, his show won’t be exclusive to Spotify, the company announced Friday in a news release.
The multiyear deal with Rogan, the founder of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” is said to be worth about $250 million, according to The Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the deal. The show was the No. 1 podcast in the U.S. for the third quarter of last year, according to Edison Research.
Spotify also said it’s expanding the partnership to allow the show to be available on other platforms. Shares of the audio streaming giant rose roughly 1.5% Friday.
Spotify first brought “The Joe Rogan Experience” to its platform exclusively in 2020 in a deal that was reportedly worth more than $100 million.
The talk-show style podcast is known — and often criticized for — its edgy approach and guests. Last year, for example, Tesla CEO Elon Musk appeared on the show and said he bought social media site X to save it from the “woke mind virus.”
Rogan faced backlash in 2022 after a compilation of videos surfaced of him using the N-word. He was also chastised by medical professionals and others for spreading Covid-19 misinformation and conspiracy theories.
Spotify came under fire for hosting those videos, and dozens of Rogan’s episodes were removed from the platform. Musicians including Neil Young and Joni Mitchell also pulled their music libraries from Spotify in protest.
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