Spotify is becoming the go-to streaming platform when it comes to podcasts, especially since there are various selections that different listeners can tune in to. With the company leaning into its strengths, it has reportedly signed a new deal with the hit yet controversial podcast host, Joe Rogan.
More of Joe Rogan on Spotify
Despite all the backlash that the podcaster has received, Joe Rogan still holds the record as the most-listened-to podcast worldwide. Spotify knows this well enough, as it could generate a lot of revenue through ad sales, so it's not surprising if the company really did strike a new deal.
The contract will secure several more years of Joe Rogan on the platform and is said to cost the company $250 million to secure. It doesn't stop there as the podcast host will also be receiving part of the revenue from the ad sales, as reported by The Guardian.
Even with Joe Rogan getting a cut of the ad revenue, Spotify will likely earn a lot from its deal, especially with the outstanding statistics brought forth the the commentator. According to Spotify, there has been a 232% increase in podcast consumption since Rogan's exclusives.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out why the podcast host is attracting a lot of listeners. All it takes is looking at the guests he's had on the show. Other than his controversial takes on certain topics, Rogan managed to have well-known personalities in his shows.
Some you might recognize are Miley Cyrus, film director Quentin Tarantino, and tech billionaire Elon Musk. Other famous figures include US Senator Bernie Sanders, astrophysicist Neil Degrasse Tyson, and "The Incredible Hulk" actor Edward Norton.
Controversies Surrounding the Podcast Host
You've probably seen his name come up in a headline or two, and most of the time, they're because of something negative. One of the biggest controversies that drew more attention to the host was his take on the Covid-19 vaccine.
Through his podcast, many unreliable anti-vaccine pseudoscience was mentioned, contributing to misinformation across social media. Healthcare experts denied and countered his claims, but many still took Rogan for his word and his "evidence."
He has also been criticized for his blatant use of racial slurs, particularly about Black-Americans. To add to that, one of his direct statements led to people calling him transphobic, after saying "that's a man" to a transgender MMA fighter.
If you think that's bad, there's even an incident in which the FBI had to step in to correct the misinformation that spread because of Joe Rogan's claims. The agency clarified that extremists did not set wildfires in Oregon, despite what Joe Rogan said.
Throwback to when Joe Rogan lied about “left-wing people” starting wildfires in Oregon and the FBI had to put out a statement because his fans kept making false reports as a result. pic.twitter.com/88GrCbjGC1
— Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) February 6, 2022
Joe Rogan replied to the post admitting to his mistake, saying that he was "very irresponsible not looking into it" before he repeated it. He even said he heard about a guy getting arrested for lighting fires. While an apology is definitely the right move, there are still countless other opinions that caused more harm than good.
