Sure, given Rogan’s history as a lightning rod for controversy, the deal will probably bring its share of inconveniences. The deal theoretically created remarkable distance between the company and its would-be rivals, buying enough time - however long the agreement lasts the exact period remains unclear - for Spotify to build out and scale up an entirely new business using The Joe Rogan Experience as its foundational piece, while everyone else is left still trying figure out their own strategies. By securing the exclusive rights to what’s widely believed to be the most popular podcast in the world, Spotify essentially bought itself a highway into its glorious new future. That vision outlined an effort to move away from its mortal dependency on the stifling world of music streaming by refashioning itself as something more expansive: a one-stop shop for all kinds of audio products, starting with podcasts. The deal, later reported to be worth $100 million, offered a road map for how Spotify was going to achieve what CEO Daniel Ek had declared was to be its “audio-first” future after buying podcast start-ups Gimlet Media and Anchor in early 2019. When Spotify struck its exclusive licensing deal with The Joe Rogan Experience in 2020, the chief executive of a major podcast company texted me shortly after the news went out: “Game, set, match.”Īt that moment, there was no other way to look at it. Photo: Louis Grasse/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Who or what is spotify