The “Joe Rogan Experience” is one of the most popular and longest-running podcasts, will be launching on Spotify exclusively this year.
The Joe Rogan talk-show series will debut on Spotify on September 1, 2020, with all episodes dating back to 2009, before becoming exclusive on the platform in 2020 under the multiyear licensing deal.
Joe Rogan’s podcast currently ranks as the second most popular show on Apple Podcasts after Barstool Sports’ “Call Her Daddy,” according to Apple. A source told Variety Rogan gained interest in the deal seeing it as an ability to build his audience. However, he initially resisted distributing his content on the platform because he saw it as a music service, and Spotify was not paying enough for licensing fees.
That said, the new deal the Joe Rogan Experience will produce video episodes, which will also be available on Spotify as “vodcasts.”
Joe Rogan announced the deal on social media on Tuesday. Shares of Spotify skyrocketed more than 5% after the news, closing up 8.4% for the day to $175.03 per share, the company’s 52 week high.
“The podcast is moving to @spotify!” he wrote on Instagram. “It will remain FREE, and it will be the same show. It’s just a licensing deal, so Spotify won’t have any creative control over the show. They want me to just continue doing it the way I’m doing it right now.”
Clips will still appear on YouTube, “but full versions of the show will only be on Spotify after the end of the year. I’m excited to have the support of the largest audio platform in the world, and I hope you folks are there when we make the switch!” Joe Rogan explained.
The Wall Street Journal reports the deal is worth more than $100 million.
The Joe Rogan Experience has built a large and engaged fanbase on listening to his interviews with a wide range of entertainers, scientists, researchers, athletes, artists, and more. Now, with the exclusivity deal, Spotify’s 268 million active users will have the ability to listen to the entire collection of podcasts. According to Spotify, “The Joe Rogan Experience” has long been the most-searched-for podcast on its service.
The deal illustrates Spotify’s commitment to acquiring podcasts. Recently, the company acquired Gimlet Media, Bill Simons’ The Ringer, Parcast, and Anchor.
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