The Joe Rogan Experience in one of the most popular podcasts in the world, and now it has been revealed what guests receive for appearing on the show.
Averaging around 11 million listeners per episode, Rogan's podcast covers a diverse array of subjects.
The UFC commentator has interviewed some of the most famous people on the planet, including Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Mike Tyson.
But despite the show's popularity, Rogan's guests do not receive payment for their appearances. But, as one previous guests divulged while detailing his experience on the JRE for the Philadelphia Enquirer, Rogan covers the cost of their flights to the Austin, Texas, studio.
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"Rogan tapes his show in a low-slung, nondescript building on the outskirts of Austin, Texas," explained Jonathan Zimmerman, a professor of education and history at the University of Pennsylvania and author of "Free Speech and Why You Should Give a Damn", who appeared on the show in 2021.
"The show doesn’t pay guests, but it did fly me down there. When I arrived, I was told that Rogan was caught in the city’s notorious traffic. “The Californians are clogging the roads,” one of his assistants groused. I pointed out that Rogan himself had recently moved to Austin from California. We both laughed.
"Next I had to get a COVID-19 test from a nurse Rogan employs," Zimmerman continued in a fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse into Rogan's often-controversial podcast. "I had promised myself I wouldn’t talk about COVID-19 while I was there, but there’s no way to avoid the topic when someone is swabbing your nose for it.
"Rogan bounded in a few minutes later, all smiles and energy in a T-shirt and shorts. He told me his workout had gone a little longer than usual, and I believed him. The guy is ripped.
"He’s also really nice, which is something you might not pick up from the tweets and headlines. Every controversial remark — about COVID-19, or race, or gender — probably makes you think, Wow, what a callous jerk.
"I can assure you he isn’t. He thanked me for flying down, asked about my family, and joked about the Austin traffic. We chatted for a few minutes while he waited for his own COVID-19 test results — negative, thank God — and then he ushered me into his studio, which looks pretty much as you’d expect: dark tones, comfy chairs, and a big neon sign with his name on it.
"I sat across from Rogan, put on a pair of headphones, and we kept talking. And talking. And talking. For three hours. The guy can gab."
Ryan Baldi