Why did Apple remove The Joe Rogan Experience? Exploring why the UFC commentator's podcast was off the platform for three years

For years, The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) has been considered to be one of the most successful podcasts. Hosted by veteran UFC color commentator Joe Rogan, it's gone from strength to strength since its launch in Dec. 2009.

JRE consistently made a significant impact across various social media platforms, including YouTube.

Additionally, Rogan made headlines in May 2020 after signing a lucrative deal with Spotify to have his JRE podcast streamed exclusively on that platform. In 2020, The Wall Street Journal reported that the agreement was worth over $100 million.

Nevertheless, it was subsequently uncovered that the figures were double what was previously reported. As per The New York Times in 2022, Rogan received over $200 million for the 2020 JRE-Spotify deal.

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Why did Apple remove Joe Rogan?

Back in May 2020, Spotify confirmed that Joe Rogan had signed an exclusive multi-year contract with them. The consensus is that the exclusive deal was why full-length JRE content was taken off Apple Podcasts and a number of other platforms that year.

In the ensuing months, full-length episodes were released on both Spotify and YouTube but the full-length YouTube uploads were restricted after Dec. 2020.

Spotify is a Sweden-based audio streaming platform, which is well-known for its mammoth music streaming library. It also provides fans with the option of watching video content, including JRE episodes.

As per the 2020 deal with Rogan, Spotify acquired exclusive rights to distribute JRE content on their platform for a four-year period, commencing with its official Spotify debut on Sept. 1, 2020.

The JRE's Spotify-exclusive phase was initially marred by COVID-19-related political controversies. Certain sections of the socio-political realm also condemned Joe Rogan for purportedly providing a platform for individuals who hold extremist views.

A long-running criticism against the MMA personality was that he was allegedly perpetuating misinformation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines.

A few public personalities, including Canadian-American singer Neil Young, demanded that Spotify deplatform the JRE podcast over Rogan's alleged COVID-related misinformation. As reported by Newsweek, Young boycotted Spotify in 2022 but returned to the platform earlier this year (2024).

Irrespective of the controversies, Spotify retained JRE and Joe Rogan. Moreover, Rogan consistently maintained that he wouldn't be censored by the platform, wouldn't allow them to change the JRE production tenets, and wasn't worried about possibly being deplatformed.

In Feb. 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported that Rogan signed a new $250 million deal with Spotify. A Forbes report reiterated the same.

In addition, Spotify published an article whereby they announced that they'd signed a multi-year deal with Rogan's JRE. Full-length JRE content is currently available on other platforms too, marking the end of a three-year-plus absence that dates back to 2020.

Taking to X in Feb. 2024, Rogan noted that JRE has officially returned to Apple Podcasts and YouTube too would have full-length episodes in the ensuing weeks. He further expressed his gratitude toward Spotify, labeling them "the coolest and smartest people" he's partnered with.

As per Rogan's tweet earlier this year, JRE "is now officially back on @apple," and he was pleased that his podcast would "have a much broader distribution." Moreover, Variety noted that Spotify would accord Rogan a guaranteed minimum payout in addition to a share of the advertising revenue.