You really can’t put a price on freedom—at least not for Joe Rogan. The longtime UFC commentator and podcast kingpin has built The Joe Rogan Experience into one of the most influential shows on the planet. So when he inked a jaw-dropping $250 million deal with Spotify, some strings were assumed to have been attached.
However, given his track record in the last couple of years, that evidently hasn’t been the case. Despite the massive payday, he insists the show is still completely his—and that’s exactly how he plans to keep it. “No one tells me anything,” Rogan noted on his latest podcast episode.
In May 2020, he inked a multi-year licensing deal reportedly worth more than $200 million, bringing The Joe Rogan Experience exclusively to Spotify. This move significantly boosted Spotify’s podcast presence, with overall consumption on the platform increasing by 232% since the show’s arrival.
Then, in February 2024, Rogan renewed his partnership with Spotify in a deal estimated at up to $250 million. This new agreement allowed his podcast to be available on multiple platforms, including Apple Podcasts and YouTube, expanding its reach even further.
While speaking to Dave Smith, Rogan has now revealed how things work behind the scenes. Rogan clarified that while he may not be the most organized guy, he’s definitely in control—and that’s exactly how he likes it.
The long-time UFC commentator insists his podcast remains untouched by corporate hands, noting that he’s never had to run guests by anyone or follow any set agenda. Whether he wants to bring on UFO enthusiasts, comedians, or controversial thinkers, the decision is entirely his.
Early in the Spotify partnership, there were some initial questions from the platform about how the show would be structured. But Rogan’s team quickly shut that down.
“You bought the number one show in the country, he’s not changing anything,” his manager had told them at the time.
“It’s the same show,” Rogan noted, proudly affirming that his creative freedom remains non-negotiable. This shouldn’t be a surprise since Rogan has been a staunch advocate for allowing people to have freedom of speech.
While he has brought on some extremely controversial figures and made some troubling remarks himself in the past, the UFC commentator believes this is essential for the functioning of society.
Rogan’s advocacy against ‘cancel culture’
The JRE host has very publicly claimed that comedians and artists cannot be held responsible for an audience taking offense, whether such was their intention or not.
He believes that true freedom of expression means allowing all viewpoints, even those we might find objectionable.
As he once stated, “Free speech is meaningless unless you allow people you don’t like to say things you don’t like.”
He has also expressed concerns about increasing censorship, fearing that certain political administrations might further restrict open dialogue.
However, Rogan’s unbridled free speech has sometimes landed him in trouble. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when anti-vax sentiments were at their peak, with people still suffering from grave consequences, Rogan advocated using ivermectin as a cure.
In September 2021, the former Fear Factor host claimed to have tested positive for the ailment and asserted that ivermectin had helped him, alongside antibiotics.
This had come just days after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had urged people to stop using the medication to treat or prevent COVID. Ivermectin has traditionally been used in horses as a dewormer.
So, days after Rogan’s statement, he was mocked on CNN and MSNBC, followed by a tweet from the FDA itself that cautioned his followers against the drug.
“You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it”, the tweet said. This resulted in an infuriated Rogan criticizing the media relentlessly for trying to cancel him.
