Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Joe Rogan
Discover the career path of Joe Rogan, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Joe Rogan is an American podcaster, UFC color commentator, comedian, actor, and former television host. He is best known for hosting The Joe Rogan Experience, a highly popular podcast that has been the most streamed podcast on Spotify since 2020. His podcast covers a wide range of topics and often features long-form conversations with guests from diverse backgrounds.
August 27, 1988: Rogan's First Stand-up Routine
On August 27, 1988, Joe Rogan performed his first stand-up routine at an open-mic night at a Stitches comedy club in Boston.
1988: Rogan Starts Comedy Career
In 1988, Joe Rogan began his career in comedy in the Boston area.
1990: Rogan moves to New York City
In 1990, Joe Rogan moved to New York City to pursue comedy full time.
1994: Rogan Relocates to Los Angeles and Lands TV Spot
In 1994, Joe Rogan relocated to Los Angeles and got his first national television spot on MTV's Half-Hour Comedy Hour and accepted a development deal with the Disney network and also secured his first acting role in the Fox sitcom Hardball.
1995: Rogan Stars in NewsRadio
From 1995, Joe Rogan starred in the NBC sitcom NewsRadio as Joe Garrelli.
February 7, 1997: Rogan's First UFC Show
On February 7, 1997, Joe Rogan's first show for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) took place at UFC 12: Judgement Day in Dothan, Alabama, working as a backstage and post-fight interviewer.
1997: Rogan Starts Working for the UFC
In 1997, Joe Rogan began working for the UFC as an interviewer and color commentator.
December 1999: Rogan Records First Stand-Up Comedy Album
In December 1999, Joe Rogan recorded his first stand-up comedy album at the Comedy Connection in Boston.
1999: Rogan Continues Starring in NewsRadio
In 1999, Joe Rogan continued starring in the NBC sitcom NewsRadio.
August 2000: Rogan Releases "I'm Gonna Be Dead Some Day..." album
In August 2000, Joe Rogan's first stand-up comedy album, "I'm Gonna Be Dead Some Day...", was released.
2000: Rogan Releases First Comedy Special
In 2000, Joe Rogan released his first comedy special, I'm Gonna Be Dead Someday...
2001: Rogan Accepts Offer to Host Fear Factor
In 2001, Joe Rogan accepted an offer from NBC to host the American edition of Fear Factor.
2001: Rogan begins hosting Fear Factor
In 2001, Joe Rogan began hosting the game show Fear Factor.
December 2002: Rogan Emcees Blockbuster Hollywood Spectacular
In December 2002, Joe Rogan was the emcee for the 2002 Blockbuster Hollywood Spectacular, a Christmas parade in Hollywood.
2002: Rogan Becomes UFC Color Commentator
In 2002, Joe Rogan became a color commentator for the UFC, initially working for free in exchange for event tickets.
February 2003: Rogan Becomes Co-Host of The Man Show
In February 2003, Joe Rogan became the co-host of The Man Show on Comedy Central.
August 2003: Rogan begins hosting The Man Show
From August 2003, Joe Rogan began his role as the co-host of The Man Show on Comedy Central, replacing the original hosts.
2004: Rogan Leaves The Man Show
In 2004, Joe Rogan's time as co-host of The Man Show ended due to disagreements over content.
May 2005: Rogan Signs with Endeavor Talent Agency
In May 2005, Joe Rogan signed a deal with the Endeavor Talent Agency.
September 2006: Rogan Records "Shiny Happy Jihad"
In September 2006, Joe Rogan recorded his fourth comedy special, Shiny Happy Jihad, at Cobb's Comedy Club in San Francisco.
2006: Fear Factor Ends Initial Run
In 2006, Fear Factor concluded its initial six-season run with Joe Rogan as host.
2006: Rogan leaves Fear Factor
In 2006, Joe Rogan's role as the host of Fear Factor came to an end.
April 2007: Rogan's "Shiny Happy Jihad" Released
In April 2007, Comedy Central Records released Joe Rogan's fourth comedy special, Shiny Happy Jihad.
2007: Rogan's "Live" Special Premieres
In 2007, Joe Rogan's second stand-up comedy special, Joe Rogan: Live, premiered on Showtime.
January 2009: Rogan Hosts Game Show in My Head
In January 2009, Joe Rogan hosted the short-lived CBS show Game Show in My Head.
December 2009: Podcast Launch
In December 2009, Joe Rogan launched a free podcast with Brian Redban, recorded on December 24 as a live weekly broadcast on Ustream.
2009: Rogan Launches The Joe Rogan Experience
In 2009, Joe Rogan launched The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
August 2010: Podcast Renamed and Ranked
By August 2010, the podcast was named The Joe Rogan Experience and entered the Top 100 podcasts on iTunes.
2010: Presenter in 'DMT: The Spirit Molecule'
In 2010, Joe Rogan was the presenter in the documentary DMT: The Spirit Molecule.
2011: Resuming Fear Factor and Acting Debut
In 2011, Joe Rogan resumed hosting Fear Factor for its final season and played Gale in the movie Zookeeper. He also began working on a book titled Irresponsible Advice from a Man with No Credibility.
2011: Podcast Picked Up by SiriusXM
In 2011, The Joe Rogan Experience podcast was picked up by SiriusXM Satellite Radio.
December 2012: Release of 'Live from the Tabernacle'
In December 2012, Joe Rogan released his sixth comedy special, Live from the Tabernacle, available exclusively as a download on his website for $5.
2012: Role in 'Here Comes the Boom'
In 2012, Joe Rogan played himself in the action-comedy film Here Comes the Boom, starring Kevin James.
2013: Hosting 'Joe Rogan Questions Everything'
In 2013, Joe Rogan hosted the television show Joe Rogan Questions Everything on the SyFy network, which covered topics like Bigfoot and UFOs.
2015: The Joe Rogan Experience Becomes Popular
By 2015, The Joe Rogan Experience was one of the most popular podcasts in the world.
2016: Rogan Ends Partnership with Mike Goldberg
Joe Rogan worked alongside Mike Goldberg until the end of 2016 as a commentator for the UFC.
May 19, 2020: Licensing Deal with Spotify
On May 19, 2020, Joe Rogan announced a multiyear licensing deal with Spotify, estimated at $200 million.
September 1, 2020: Podcast Available on Spotify
Starting September 1, 2020, The Joe Rogan Experience became available on Spotify.
2020: Spotify Obtains Exclusive Rights to The Joe Rogan Experience
In 2020, Spotify obtained exclusive distribution rights to The Joe Rogan Experience for $200 million.
2020: The Joe Rogan Experience becomes most streamed podcast on Spotify
In 2020, The Joe Rogan Experience became the most streamed podcast on Spotify.
January 2021: Podcast Exclusivity on Spotify
From January 2021, The Joe Rogan Experience became exclusive to the Spotify platform, with both audio and video content.
2021: Onnit Sold to Unilever
In 2021, Onnit, the supplements and fitness company co-founded by Joe Rogan, was sold to Unilever.
January 24, 2022: Neil Young Demands Spotify Remove Music Over Rogan
On January 24, 2022, Neil Young demanded Spotify remove his music if they didn't remove The Joe Rogan Experience, citing concerns about misinformation on the platform.
April 2022: Rogan criticizes transgender women competing in sports
In April 2022, Joe Rogan voiced criticism of transgender women competing in women's sports, including MMA, and commented on Lia Thomas.
October 2022: Rogan Shares Litter Box Hoax
In October 2022, Rogan shared the discredited litter boxes in schools hoax during an interview with Tulsi Gabbard.
2022: Rumble Offer
In early 2022, video platform Rumble offered Joe Rogan $100 million to switch from Spotify, but Rogan declined the offer.
February 2023: Rogan Makes Controversial Comments About Jewish People and Money
In February 2023, Joe Rogan stated the "idea that Jewish people are not into money is ridiculous." The Anti-Defamation League condemned his comment as reflecting "antisemitic tropes about Jews and money".
March 2023: Comedy Mothership Opens
In March 2023, Joe Rogan's Comedy Mothership comedy club opened in Austin, Texas.
February 2024: Rogan Promotes Debunked Claims About AIDS and AZT
During a podcast in February 2024, Rogan promoted debunked claims about poppers and AIDS, and falsely claimed AZT killed people faster than AIDS. He also praised AIDS denialist Peter Duesberg.
2024: Rogan Renews Spotify Deal
In 2024, Joe Rogan renewed his deal with Spotify for an estimated $250 million, but will no longer be exclusive to them.
January 10, 2025: Rogan Interviews Zuckerberg on Facebook's COVID-19 Post Removal
On January 10, 2025, Joe Rogan interviewed Mark Zuckerberg, who claimed the Biden administration pressured Facebook to remove posts about COVID-19 vaccine side effects.
April 2025: Rogan Comments on the Re-emergence of a Disability Slur
In April 2025, Rogan commented on the re-emergence of the disability slur "retard" into mainstream culture, attributing it to podcasts.
September 2025: Rogan Criticized for Misinterpreting Climate Data
In September 2025, Rogan was criticized by Jessica Tierney for misinterpreting a global temperature chart, claiming temperatures are cooling despite evidence of global warming.
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