AUSTIN, TEXAS: 'The Joe Rogan Experience' is one of the most popular podcasts in the world, with millions of views on both its complete episodes and its shorter snippets. The show was initially appealing to most MMA fans because it was hosted by UFC's controversial commentator, Joe Rogan, and featured numerous renowned MMA competitors.

Even if you are unaware of the podcast's existence, you have most likely come across some excerpts from the show that includes interesting and, at times, even contentious material. But how many people listen to 'JRE', and how has it evolved over time?

Joe Rogan's 'JRE' podcast viewership

The 'JRE' gained fame mostly as a result of its YouTube premiere in 2013. In the years since it has amassed a massive fan base. Spotify agreed to pay Rogan $200 million for exclusive rights to the show. While some fans and Spotify staff objected to the decision, the program has only risen in popularity.

The show's evolution was slow and constant over the years. The podcast had a bit less than 1 million subscribers on its YouTube account three years after its launch. However, the podcast's popularity skyrocketed after renowned guests such as Elon Musk, Bernie Sanders, and Edward Snowden appeared on it. 'JRE' surpassed 8 million subscribers in 2020, up from 2 million in 2018, and now in 2023 it has over 15 million subscribers.

Rogan's podcast has only increased since then, with the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic providing a significant boost. The show has 2018 episodes [excluding fight companion, JRE MMA Show, and others] and over 3 billion total streams as of August 10, 2023.

The legendary 'joint' episode with Elon Musk is the most-watched episode in the podcast's history, with over 67 million views. Surprisingly, the top ten most watched episodes accounted for 10% of those 3 billion views (353 million). On a regular basis, Rogan invites visitors and has engaging chats. As a result, expect the numbers to grow over time.

Early days of 'JRE' podcast

'JRE' began as a weekly broadcast on the virtual event platform Ustream. Brian Redban was in charge of production at the time. Jamie Vernon eventually took over the podcast's production. It was not always a fascinating presentation full of facts that we are now familiar with. The initial few episodes of the show featured two persons sitting in front of laptop computers, attempting to find out something to talk about.

It gradually evolved into a painstakingly prepared presentation in which Rogan invited people from various areas of life to discuss their work, beliefs, and life experiences. The show soon branched out into numerous shows such as Fight Companion, 'JRE MMA Show', and 'The Joe Rogan Experience', which retained its name.