- Joe Rogan said he's not leaving for Spotify for Rumble and its looser content moderation rules.
- The site, favored by the right, offered him $100 million to leave the streamer.
- After a standup set Wednesday, Rogen said "Spotify has hung in with me, inexplicably."
Joe Rogan has no plans to leave Spotify any time soon.
During a fan Q&A after an intimate standup set in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday night, Rogan said his controversial podcast would remain on the streaming platform, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
"No, Spotify has hung in with me, inexplicably, let's see what happens," Rogan reportedly said Tuesday night in response to fan questions about potentially taking his show elsewhere.
Rogan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
As other artists left Spotify in protest of the company allowing his show to remain, the conservative-leaning video site Rumble offered Joe Rogan $100 million to host his podcast there.
"How about you bring all your shows to Rumble, both old and new, with no censorship, for 100 million bucks over four years? This is our chance to save the world. And yes, this is totally legit," CEO Chris Pavlovski said in his pitch sent on Twitter.
The saga began in January when Rogan interviewed a doctor who claimed without evidence that Americans were "hypnotized" into wearing masks, a notion that psychologists debunked. He's also advised young, healthy people that they don't need to get vaccinated against COVID-19 (while claiming to be pro-vaccine.)
It's since become the latest flashpoint in an ongoing debate around free speech, how to moderate content online, and who should be responsible for removing potentially harmful information.
In response, Rogan has said "I'm not a doctor — I'm a fucking moron. I'm not a respected source of information."
And on Wednesday, he reiterated that idea, saying "I talk shit for a living — that's why this is so baffling to me," he said, per The Hollywood Reporter. "If you're taking vaccine advice from me, is that really my fault? What dumb shit were you about to do when my stupid idea sounded better?"
Going forward, Rogan said he can do more research about controversial topics and "have all the pertinent facts at hand before I discuss them."
He also apologized to Spotify for involving the company in the controversy that his show has caused.
Spotify and its CEO Daniel Ek have stood firmly behind Rogan, even after the site pulled more than 100 episodes of his show at his and his team's request. Ek said he doesn't agree with lots of Rogan's comments, including his use of a racial slur, but said he doesn't believe that silencing him is the answer.
Spotify and Rogan first inked a "multiyear" deal in May 2020. The announcement was scant on financial or logistical details, though the price tag was reported to be $100 million. It's unclear when its exclusivity expires or if Rogan could immediately move the podcast elsewhere.