UFC commentator Joe Rogan signs $250M Spotify extension to keep podcast running

Joe Rogan has signed a new multi-year contract extension with Spotify worth $250 million, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, securing the future of one of the world’s most-listened-to podcasts for another cycle.

The deal matches the $250 million figure Rogan agreed in 2024 when he expanded distribution beyond Spotify’s original exclusive arrangement. Under the new terms, The Joe Rogan Experience will remain available on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube, and other streaming services — a broader footprint than the exclusivity window that defined his initial 2020 agreement with the platform.

Rogan, 59, launched The Joe Rogan Experience in 2009. The show built its audience on long-form conversations spanning comedy, entertainment, politics, science, and MMA, and has become one of the defining formats of the podcast era. Rogan first gained mainstream recognition as a comedian and actor before cultivating a substantial following as a colour commentator for the UFC during the promotion’s rise to mainstream prominence in the 2000s. He remains part of the UFC’s cageside commentary team, though his appearances are now typically limited to a select number of numbered pay-per-view events each year.

The renewal comes despite sustained criticism directed at Rogan over the years for platforming conspiracy theories and unverified claims with limited fact-checking. Those controversies have done little to dent the show’s reach, which continues to rank among the most widely consumed podcasts globally.

For the UFC, Rogan’s continued prominence in the media landscape keeps one of the sport’s most recognisable voices in the public eye, even as his commentary commitments to the promotion remain a fraction of what they once were.