Joe Rogan, the host of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, is facing backlash from his devoted listeners for breaking a promise he made early on in the show’s history. Since its inception in 2009, Rogan has produced over 2,000 episodes featuring a wide range of guests, from MMA fighters to comedians to scientists. In 2020, Spotify purchased the podcast in a deal worth around $200 million.
Some of Rogan’s most notable guests have included Elon Musk, Mike Tyson, and Donald Trump. In fact, Rogan’s influence over his audience is so significant that some believe he played a role in Trump’s re-election last year after inviting him on the show and endorsing him.
Despite claiming in the past that he would never interrupt the flow of his conversations with mid-podcast ads, Rogan has recently started including unskippable advertisements in his episodes. This change has not gone unnoticed by his listeners, who have taken to Reddit to express their disappointment. Many feel that this decision goes against Rogan’s previous stance on the matter and disrupts the listening experience for paying subscribers.
It’s clear that Rogan’s decision to include mid-stream ads has struck a nerve with his dedicated fan base, who feel let down by the host going back on his word. The conversation around this issue continues to unfold as listeners grapple with the new reality of ads interrupting their favorite podcast.