Reports have just surfaced that the Joe Rogan Experience will be available on Spotify starting in September, and will be heard there exclusively near January.

According to Rogan, the pod will remain free for everyone, be exactly the same product in terms of content and production, and he made a fuck-ton of guap.

As Spotify continues to expand their platform in the ever-growing podcast space, this is an obvious win. It literally doesn’t matter how much they’re paying for this. You could say 20 million a year and I’d call fair play.

What does this mean for Apple Podcasts? Probably not a good sign. They’ve dominated and controlled the space for the limited amount of time podcasts have been available and in demand. It was only a matter of time until some behemoth media monster started to snatch the rights to elite talents and revenue machines, Rogan obviously being the biggest.

Similarly, what does this mean for the video version of the show that’s available on Youtube? Many people enjoy this component. Not that it would be a devastating hit to YouTube necessarily, but it could hurt general buzz and promotions for the show. Also, you don’t get to gaze your eyes on Joey Diaz stuffing his face with another edible.

I’m not a Spotify guy. I’m a grown man who rarely has cellphone data so that makes it difficult to stream shit in the car or outside. For that reason I use illegal download platforms like Youtube 2 Mp3 and give my computer virus’ and download Apple pods before I leave the house. This hits me harder than most.

This could be a massive turning point for the industry, as I would imagine that more podcast producers would want to sign exclusivity deals, and more streaming platforms want the same. I think podcast giants like Barstool and the Ringer might even begin to develop their own platforms. You’re telling me Pardon My Take listeners wouldn’t tune into a Barstool Podcast app to listen everyday? Bill Simmons fans (why do you exist?) would do the same, I’m sure.

It’s genuinely interesting to see podcasts grow and shift the media culture. Rogan securing the bag here is the definition of opportunity, talent, luck, and general societal divide meeting at the right time.