Joe Rogan, author of one of Spotify’s most popular podcasts, is accused of spreading fake news about vaccines. The streaming platform had purchased the exclusivity of the program in May 2020.
“The Joe Rogan Experiment”, the podcast of polemicist Joe Rogan, has been the center of much discussion since the beginning of February 2022. Known for his provocative remarks and for having made comments against the vaccine on his show, Joe Rogan is also behind the departure of several artists from Spotify, including Neil Young and Joni Mitchell.
But despite the departures, caused by Spotify’s refusal to kick Joe Rogan off its platform, Spotify remains straight in its boots. There is no question of parting with Joe Rogan and his podcast. And for good reason: according to information from the New York Times, the platform would not have bought the exclusivity of the program for 100 million dollars, but in reality 200 million dollars.
An Impressive Podcast Investment
The American newspaper says in an article published on February 17, 2022 that Spotify and Joe Rogan would have negotiated the terms of the contract in May 2020: the podcast would only be broadcast in its entirety on Spotify, and no longer on YouTube, where it officiated until then, and this for 3 and a half years – i.e. until 2024.
At the time, the Wall Street Journal reported that the deal cost Spotify 100 million euros. The New York Times reports today that Joe Rogan would have actually pocketed more than double: the deal would have been ” at least $200 million, and possibly more “, according to two sources familiar with the matter interviewed by the New York Times.
The amount paid by Spotify is a record even within the podcast industry, notes the New York Times. The platform had paid less than $200 million each time to buy Gimlet Media and The Ringer, two companies specializing in the production of podcasts.
In any case, the “Joe Rogan Experience” program pays off big for Spotify: it is the platform’s most listened to podcast in the United States and in 92 other countries, and the most popular episodes exceed tens of millions of listening. This is an essential program for Spotify: Daniel Ek, its general manager, recently explained to platform employees that the type of content offered by Joe Rogan was exactly what would allow them to win against Apple or Google (which each have podcast platforms).
There is therefore little chance that Spotify will ever reconsider its decision to host Joe Rogan, even if more and more artists and creators prefer to go on other platforms: lately, director Ava DuVernay who broke his contract with the Swedish company, and journalist Jemele Hill announced that the fact that Spotify defends Joe Rogan had ” created problems with his audience “.
