The former MMA fighter and successful podcast host Joe Rogan threatened to abandon his $200 million deal with Spotify due to efforts aimed at getting him out of the platform due to remarks that some have considered controversial or problematic. Rogan said if the time comes when he is forced to not be himself due to public pressure, he will simply quit the show and leave.
During an episode with fellow former MMA fighter Josh Barnett said he was worried that people would be looking to judge Rogan for any little comment on his podcast, to which Rogan said that “If I become something different because it grew bigger, I will quit. If it gets to a point that I can’t do it anymore, where I have to do it in some sort of weird way where I walk on eggshells and mind my p’s and q’s, f*** that!.” Barnett also said that those who criticized Rogan are “levying an insincerity – they’re putting insincerity on you. That’s really what it is.”
Rogan has become one of the most successful content producers on Spotify as he has managed to stay among the top shows in the streaming services despite the controversy behind his show. The podcaster signed a deal with Spotify to produce exclusive content for the streaming platform back in 2020. The deal was reportedly worth $200 million.
“Canceling Joe Rogan,” explained
The podcaster was in the middle of a controversy last month when he was accused of spreading misinformation regarding COVID by a group of doctors. Rogan was also heavily criticized for having used a racial slur against African-Americans. The campaign against Rogan, which was subscribed by important media outlets like The Washington Post, also included musician Neil Young who threatened to withdraw his content from Spotify if the company didn’t kick Rogan out.
Rogan was not only questioned by divisive opinions or inviting controversial guests to his show but he was also openly called a “menace to public health” in a letter allegedly signed by a group of 270 doctors and health experts, despite the fact that most of the signatories of the letter are not medical physicians or health experts. The letter also called for Spotify to “establish a clear and public policy to moderate misinformation on its platform.”
The pressure on Rogan, however, was not successful for the time being. Rogan released a 10-minute response to the criticisms against him where he said that he was not trying to impose one particular set of beliefs as facts but is just trying to talk to people and present many opinions to the public. Spotify issued a statement saying that while they were not planning to cancel Rogan’s show, they were going to add some content advisory in the episodes where critics argued Rogan was spreading misinformation. The company, however, did pull out more than 100 episodes of Rogan’s show from their servers.
The White House also weighed in on the campaign against Rogan, as Jen Psaki said in a press conference that the administration welcomed Spotify’s decision to put advisories on Rogan’s episodes. However, Psaki also argued that the White House also thought that the company could continue “doing more” to fight alleged misinformation.
The pressure against Joe Rogan has yet to force him out of the platform, as the millions of listeners he draws to Spotify make him one of the most valuable assets of the streaming service. However, Rogan’s latest remarks make it clear that the tensions between the podcaster and the company might reignite in the near future.
Daniel is a Political Science and Economics student from the University of South Florida. He worked as a congressional intern to Rep. Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) from January to May 2020. He also is the head of international analysis at Politiks // Daniel es un estudiante de Cs Políticas y Economía en la Universidad del Sur de la Florida. Trabajo como pasante legislativo para el Representate Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) desde enero hasta mayo del 2020. Daniel también es el jefe de análisis internacional de Politiks.