Joe Rogan's podcast is coming to Apple, Amazon and YouTube under new deal with Spotify

By Bill Peters

'The popularity of the The Joe Rogan Experience aligns with the continued growth we are seeing for podcasts overall,' Spotify says

Audio-streaming platform Spotify Technology on Friday announced a new multi-year partnership with Joe Rogan that would broaden distribution of his podcast "The Joe Rogan Experience" to platforms like Apple, Amazon and YouTube.

The deal follows an exclusive partnership with Spotify (SPOT) struck in 2020. Spotify, in a statement, said the move capitalizes on "the broad distribution strategy that we kicked off in 2023."

The Wall Street Journal reported that the deal was estimated to be worth up to $250 million over that period. The outlet said that Spotify would sell ads for the podcast, and that the deal includes an ad-sales driven revenue sharing agreement.

A representative for Spotify declined to comment on the deal terms, but said the $250 million figure was "incorrect." The representative did not elaborate further.

Shares of the audio streaming service were up 1.1% on Friday.

The company announced the deal after struggling to turn a steady profit, and after complaints from many musicians who say its streaming payouts are too low to support their work. The Journal noted that Spotify has been reworking deals to lower minimum guarantees, broaden distribution and share revenue.

Rogan's podcast, first launched in 2009, has exploded in popularity. But it recent years, it has drawn criticism for the host's past racist remarks - for which Rogan apologized - and spreading what many have said is misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines.

"The popularity of the The Joe Rogan Experience aligns with the continued growth we are seeing for podcasts overall," Spotify said in a statement on Friday.

"Since the podcast has been exclusive to Spotify, overall podcast consumption on the platform has increased by 232%," the statement continued. "As a result of this exponential growth we've seen, this has attracted a wide array of advertisers that has fueled the 80% increase in revenue in 2023 since 2021 including a 45% increase in revenue in 2023 for the show."

-Bill Peters

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02-02-24 1303ET

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