According to Joe Rogan, he gained approximately two million subscribers immediately after Neil Young left Spotify.
So, how did the Neil Young debacle affect Joe Rogan? According to Rogan, Young’s departure — and the ensuing media frenzy — resulted in a significant increase in new subscribers. That equates to an additional two million subscribers in subsequent shows. Rogan was courting an estimated 11 million subscribers prior to the standoff with Young.
Spotify was under intense pressure to fire Rogan, but this is just one of the reasons why they refused. Rogan discusses the experience with his guest in episode #1807 of The Joe Rogan Experience with Douglas Murray.
Murray: You have been put through the ringer –
Rogan: Yeah, I definitely got put through the ringer, yeah–
Murray: Since I last met you, they did a number on you.
Rogan: They did, it’s interesting. But my subscriptions went up massively, that’s what’s crazy. During the height of it all, I gained two million subscribers.
Murray: I’m so pleased for you. I’m pleased for everyone, actually. When I watched what they were doing to you. As long as you survived this, something’s gonna be okay in the world.
Rogan: Yeah, they went for it, they went for it.
Murray: And because it didn’t work, it felt like everyone could sigh a bit of a breath.
Rogan: Also, it’s fortunate that the people that went for it were CNN, and they’re just so untrustworthy. And people know how biased they are, and they know how socially weird their fucking anchors are. These awkward, non-relatable people that no one – if there’s someone on TV, like pick a person like Jon Stewart, is a great relatable person who I find to be a brilliant guy who’s a kind person. If Jon Stewart thinks you’re a piece of shit, I’m gonna listen. But if Brian Stelter doesn’t like you, that doesn’t mean anything to me.
PHOTO: JOEL BERNSTEIN
The discussion is referring to Joe Rogan’s recent controversies regarding anti-vax information and his use of the n-word. Douglas Murray is a political commentator from the United Kingdom who last appeared on the JRE podcast in 2020. Rogan has spoken out about the controversy on stage.
“I talk shit for a living – that’s why this is so baffling to me,” Rogan told his listeners at a set at Vulcan Gas Company in Austin, Texas. “If you’re taking vaccine advice from me, is that really my fault? What dumb shit where you about to do when my stupid idea sounded better?”