Joe Rogan's Deal With Spotify Worth at Least $200 Million

In May 2020, Joe Rogan signed a deal to move his podcast exclusively to Spotify. At the time, several reports said Spotify would pay Rogan $100 million for an unknown number of years.

Thursday, the New York Times said that the reported number is incorrect, that Rogan will make much more. At least $100 million more.

"In May 2020, after an intense courtship, Spotify announced a licensing agreement to host Mr. Rogan’s show exclusively. Although reported then to be worth more than $100 million, the true value of the deal that was negotiated at the time, which covered three and a half years, was at least $200 million, with the possibility of more, according to two people familiar with the details of the transaction who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss it."

This means Rogan makes more than $57 million a year. For comparison elsewhere in the digital media space, Spotify pays Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper $20 million a year. FanDuel agreed to pay Pat McAfee $30 million in 2021.

Rogan's salary further proves why Rogan is afraid to lose Spotify.

If Rogan didn’t think the last few outcries would have serious repercussions for his relationship with Spotify, he would not have apologized twice in the past month. Money makes people weak, as history has long demonstrated.

While Rogan would remain relevant without Spotify -- as he was previously on YouTube -- he could not make $200 million on his own.

Rumble, a free-speech alternative to YouTube, recently offered Rogan $25 million a year over four years. Rogan rejected the offer on his podcast.

Rogan's contract with Spotify will expire around the end of 2023.