POD POWER
PODCASTING behemoth and UFC legend Joe Rogan has signed an exclusive deal with Spotify worth a reported $100million (£82million).
The 52-year-old American's podcast The Joe Rogan Experience will only be available through the Swedish streaming service from September.
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The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) boasts 190million downloads a month, according to Rogan, and is currently available across a range of platforms.
The show typically takes the form of hours-long chats between Rogan and A-list comedians, sports stars, actors and even the odd politician.
Up until now, the podcast had never been available on Spotify, let alone exclusive to any one platform.
Under the new deal, the JRE will arrive on Spotify on September 1. By 2021 it will be housed there exclusively and wiped from all other platforms.
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The multi-year contract is thought to be worth $100million (£82 million), according to the Wall Street Journal.
In a statement, Spotify called Rogan, who is also a popular stand-up comedian, "one of culture's leading voices".
The former Fear Factor host - who has nearly 4.5million subscribers on YouTube - promised his show would remain true to its roots.
"It will remain free, and it will be the exact same show," he said. "It's just a licensing deal, so Spotify won't have any creative control over the show.
"They want me to just continue doing it the way I'm doing it right now.
"I'm excited to have the support of the largest audio platform in the world and I hope you folks are there when we make the switch!"
Rogan began his podcast in 2009 and has gone from strength to strength in the decade since.
In 2019, The Joe Rogan Experience was the world's most popular podcast, earning £24m in revenue, according to Forbes.
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Born in New Jersey, Rogan has performed stand-up since 1988 and worked as a commentator and ring-side interviewer with the UFC since 1997.
His podcasts have sparked controversy in the past. In 2018, billionaire Tesla boss Elon Musk smoked weed with Rogan on his show.
Shares for Tesla dropped nine per cent shortly after the incident.
Smoking cannabis is legal in California, where the JRE is recorded. Musk told Rogan: "I'm not a regular smoker of weed."
Elon Musk smokes a JOINT live on YouTube during podcast interview with Joe Rogan
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In other news, Rogan fans went wild in April after 23-year-old footage of the comedian giving one of his first UFC reports emerged online.
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