Audio streaming platform Spotify announced Friday that it has renewed its partnership with Joe Rogan on its chart-topping flagship podcast.
Sweden-based Spotify did not disclose financial terms of the deal, but said a Wall Street Journal report that the deal was worth $250 million was “false.”
Rogan signed his first exclusive deal with Spotify in May 2020, with the publication valuing the deal at approximately $200 million.
“The Joe Rogan Experience” topped the list of the world’s most listened to podcasts on Spotify in 2023 for the fourth year in a row.
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Spotify also announced that its podcasts will once again be available on other platforms, including Apple, Amazon, and YouTube, ending a four-year period of exclusivity on the streaming application.
Logan was an early adopter of the podcasting format in 2009 and has built a loyal fan base that remains unmatched in size and enthusiasm.
“The Joe Rogan Experience” is a loosely structured show that often lasts more than three hours. During that time, Logan moderates free-wheeling, informal conversations with guests.
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Over the years, Logan, a comedian and former kickboxing and taekwondo champion, has hosted celebrities such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Bernie Sanders, as well as doctors, martial artists, comedians, mathematicians, and more. has been welcomed as a guest.
He has been repeatedly accused of giving a platform to conspiracy theories, particularly regarding Covid-19 and vaccines.
In early 2022, several musicians, including American-Canadian artist Neil Young and American singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, demanded that their songs be removed from Spotify in protest of their support for Rogan.
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In response to the outpouring of criticism, Spotify added mentions and links that direct users to information from factual, scientific sources.
Days later, Rogan was forced to issue a public apology for repeatedly using racial slurs on the show.
But despite all the controversy, enthusiasm for the Joe Rogan Experience remains undiminished and remains as popular as ever.
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Spotify's 2020 deal with Rogan was part of a podcast offensive aimed at solidifying its position as the world's leading audio content platform.
Podcast consumption has increased more than 230% since then, according to the company.
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