Spotify executives know that the success of the “Joe Rogan Experience” is going to be difficult if not impossible to top.
The company’s chief of content Dawn Ostroff told Variety this week that Rogan’s achievement of being the number one podcast in the world is a huge deal.
“We look at Joe and it’s hard to find anyone who comes close… There’s Joe Rogan, then there’s a really big cliff — and then everyone else,” she said.
Rogan was named the top digital show of 2022 by Barrett News Media this week. The show finished 200 points ahead of the next runner-up, “The Daily” by The New York Times.
Ostroff said Spotify is looking to build off Rogan’s success with shows that resonate with listeners and advertisers alike.
“These podcasters create a community around the podcast, sometimes around the guests. People know what to expect, and they keep coming back,” she said.
“We know we have to make some big swings — and look for podcasts that feel like a big event, not just another podcast that’s out there,” said Ostroff.
This year, Rogan’s show endured lots of criticism, and Spotify executives faced great internal pressure to cancel Rogan after it was alleged that he spread COVID misinformation.
Rogan said those controversies actually helped bolster his subscription numbers.
