Spotify Expands Non-Exclusive Deal with Joe Rogan

Spotify has confirmed an expanded multiyear agreement with Joe Rogan, allowing his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, to be distributed on various platforms including YouTube, Apple, and others. The deal is reported to be worth $250m, a $50m increase on the initial $200m deal signed in 2020. Despite controversies surrounding the podcast, including criticism over Covid misinformation and the use of racist language that led to the removal of dozens of episodes, the show will remain exclusive to Spotify. The deal indicates a strategic shift for Spotify from exclusive deals to wider distribution, aiming to increase its ad revenues. Since Rogan's show became exclusive to Spotify in 2020, overall podcast consumption on the platform has increased by 232%, leading to an 80% revenue increase in 2022.