In May 2020, Spotify announced an exclusive licensing deal with Joe Rogan that reportedly paid an insane $100 million figure. At the time, this figure was seen as being quite hefty, and in the wake of the latest Neil Young controversy, it has been repeated many times that Spotify has 100 million reasons to side with Rogan.
Now, “two people familiar with the details of the transaction” have told The New York Times that the deal actually paid Rogan US$200 million, for a three-and-a-half year deal.
Of course, this astronomical sum means Rogan certainly won’t be silenced by Spotify.
Daniel Ek, founder and CEO of Spotify, has admitted that “there are many things that Joe Rogan says that I strongly disagree with and find very offensive.”
“I want to make one point very clear,” Ek wrote in a company-wide memo to staff. “I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer. We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but cancelling voices is a slippery slope.”
Especially when this comes with the cancellation of a $200 million deal.
