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 influential podcast where he engages in discussions with guests on a wide array of topics including current events, comedy, politics, science, and philosophy. Rogan's podcast is recognized as one of the most popular and influential in the world, drawing a large audience and sparking public discourse.
August 27, 1988: 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: Comedy Career Start
In 1988, Joe Rogan began his career in comedy in the Boston area.
1990: Move to New York City
In 1990, Joe Rogan moved to New York City to pursue comedy full-time.
1994: Relocation to Los Angeles and First TV Spot
In 1994, Joe Rogan relocated to Los Angeles and made his first national television appearance on MTV's Half-Hour Comedy Hour. Subsequently he accepted a development deal with the Disney network and secured a role in the Fox sitcom Hardball.
1995: Starring in NewsRadio
From 1995, Joe Rogan starred in the NBC sitcom NewsRadio as Joe Garrelli.
1996: Training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
In 1996, Joe Rogan began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Carlson Gracie at his school in Los Angeles, California.
February 7, 1997: 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: UFC Career
In 1997, Joe Rogan began working for the UFC as an interviewer and color commentator.
December 1999: Recording of First Comedy Album
In December 1999, Joe Rogan recorded his first stand-up comedy album at the Comedy Connection in Boston.
August 2000: Release of First Comedy Album
In August 2000, Joe Rogan's first stand-up comedy album, I'm Gonna Be Dead Some Day..., was released and gained national exposure.
2000: First Comedy Special Release
In 2000, Joe Rogan released his first comedy special, I'm Gonna Be Dead Someday...
2001: Hosting Fear Factor
From 2001, Joe Rogan hosted the game show Fear Factor.
2001: Zuffa's Takeover of UFC
In 2001, after Zuffa took over the UFC, Joe Rogan attended some events and befriended Dana White.
December 2002: Emcee for Blockbuster Hollywood Spectacular
In December 2002, Joe Rogan was the emcee for the 2002 Blockbuster Hollywood Spectacular, a Christmas parade in Hollywood.
2002: Return to UFC as Color Commentator
In 2002, Joe Rogan returned to the UFC as a color commentator, initially working for free in exchange for prime event tickets.
February 2003: Co-host of The Man Show
In February 2003, Joe Rogan became the new co-host of The Man Show on Comedy Central.
August 2003: Start of The Man Show
In August 2003, Joe Rogan began co-hosting The Man Show on Comedy Central for its fifth season.
2004: End of The Man Show
In 2004, Joe Rogan's time as co-host of The Man Show on Comedy Central ended due to disagreements over content.
May 2005: Signing with Endeavor Talent Agency
In May 2005, Joe Rogan signed a deal with the Endeavor Talent Agency.
September 2006: Recording of Comedy Special 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 End
Fear Factor, hosted by Joe Rogan, ran for an initial six seasons from 2001 to 2006.
2006: End of Fear Factor Hosting
In 2006, Joe Rogan's tenure as the host of Fear Factor came to an end.
April 2007: Release of Comedy Special Shiny Happy Jihad
In April 2007, Comedy Central Records released Joe Rogan's fourth comedy special, Shiny Happy Jihad.
2007: Premiere of Second Stand-up Comedy Special
Joe Rogan's second stand-up comedy special, Joe Rogan: Live, which was filmed in Phoenix, Arizona in 2005, premiered on Showtime in 2007.
January 2009: Hosting Game Show in My Head
In January 2009, Joe Rogan hosted the CBS show "Game Show in My Head", produced by Ashton Kutcher, for eight episodes. The show featured contestants convincing people to participate in bizarre situations for money. Rogan was intrigued by the idea and called it "a completely mindless form of entertainment".
December 2009: Launch of The Joe Rogan Experience Podcast
In December 2009, Joe Rogan launched a free podcast with Brian Redban, initially a live weekly broadcast on Ustream where they discussed various topics.
2009: The Joe Rogan Experience Launch
In 2009, Joe Rogan launched The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
August 2010: Podcast Named The Joe Rogan Experience
By August 2010, the podcast was officially named "The Joe Rogan Experience" and began to gain traction, entering 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", which explores the effects of the psychedelic drug DMT.
2011: The Joe Rogan Experience on SiriusXM
In 2011, "The Joe Rogan Experience" was picked up by SiriusXM Satellite Radio, expanding its reach to a wider audience.
2011: Return to Fear Factor and Film Role
In 2011, Joe Rogan resumed hosting "Fear Factor" for its seventh and final season. He also played Gale in the film "Zookeeper" and worked on a book tentatively titled "Irresponsible Advice from a Man with No Credibility".
December 2012: Release of Live from the Tabernacle
In December 2012, Joe Rogan released his sixth comedy special, "Live from the Tabernacle", exclusively as a download on his website for $5, following Louis C.K.'s distribution model.
2012: Appearance in Here Comes the Boom
In 2012, Joe Rogan played himself in the action-comedy film "Here Comes the Boom" starring Kevin James, adding another film appearance to his career.
2013: Hosting Joe Rogan Questions Everything
In 2013, Joe Rogan hosted the television show "Joe Rogan Questions Everything" on the SyFy network. The show, which aired for six episodes, explored topics from his podcasts with comedians, experts, and scientists.
January 2015: Podcast Reaches 11 Million Monthly Downloads
By January 2015, "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast had reached over 11 million monthly downloads, demonstrating its growing popularity.
2015: Podcast Popularity
By 2015, The Joe Rogan Experience was one of the most popular podcasts in the world, regularly receiving millions of plays per episode.
2016: End of Collaboration with Mike Goldberg
In 2016, Joe Rogan's collaboration with Mike Goldberg as a commentator came to an end.
May 19, 2020: Licensing Deal with Spotify
On May 19, 2020, Joe Rogan announced a multiyear licensing deal with Spotify, estimated at $200 million, for "The Joe Rogan Experience", marking a significant milestone in podcasting.
September 1, 2020: The Joe Rogan Experience Available on Spotify
As of September 1, 2020, "The Joe Rogan Experience" became available on Spotify as part of the licensing deal.
2020: Spotify Deal
In 2020, Spotify obtained exclusive distribution rights to The Joe Rogan Experience for $200 million.
January 2021: Podcast Exclusivity on Spotify
From January 2021, "The Joe Rogan Experience" became exclusive to the Spotify platform, including both audio and video versions.
2021: Onnit Sold to Unilever
In 2021, Onnit, the supplements and fitness company co-founded by Joe Rogan, was sold to Unilever, marking a significant business transaction.
January 24, 2022: Neil Young Demands Removal of Music From Spotify
On January 24, 2022, Neil Young demanded Spotify remove his music if they didn't remove The Joe Rogan Experience, citing misinformation concerns. He stated that "Spotify has a responsibility to mitigate the spread of misinformation on its platform".
April 2022: Rogan's comments on transgender women in sports
In April 2022, Joe Rogan commented on transgender women competing in women's sports, singling out transgender swimmer Lia Thomas. Rogan stated that Thomas "might be the woke straw that breaks society's camel's back".
October 2022: Rogan Shares Litter Box Hoax
In October 2022, Joe Rogan shared the widely discredited litter boxes in schools hoax while interviewing Tulsi Gabbard, claiming public schools were providing litter boxes to students who dress up as cats.
2022: Rumble's Offer to Rogan
In early 2022, Rumble offered Joe Rogan $100 million to switch platforms from Spotify, but Rogan declined the offer.
February 2023: Rogan's Comments on Jewish People and Money
In February 2023, Joe Rogan stated on his podcast that the "idea that Jewish people are not into money is ridiculous", defending Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. The Anti-Defamation League condemned the comment as reflecting "antisemitic tropes about Jews and money".
March 2023: Opening of Comedy Mothership
In March 2023, Joe Rogan's Comedy Mothership comedy club opened in Austin, Texas, marking a new venture in the comedy scene.
February 2024: Rogan Promotes Debunked AIDS Claims
In February 2024, during a podcast with Bret Weinstein, Joe Rogan promoted the debunked claim that party drugs were "a very important factor in AIDS" and falsely claimed that the antiviral drug AZT killed people "quicker" than AIDS itself.
2024: Spotify Deal Renewal
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: Joe Rogan Interview with Mark Zuckerberg
On January 10, 2025, Joe Rogan interviewed Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. During the interview, Zuckerberg claimed the Biden administration pressured Facebook to remove posts about COVID-19 vaccine side effects.
April 2025: Rogan Comments on Disability Slur
In April 2025, Joe Rogan controversially stated that the re-emergence of the disability slur "retard" is "one of the greatest cultural victories that I think is spurred on, probably, by podcasts".
Mentioned in this timeline
Elon Musk is a prominent businessman best known for leading...
Ukraine is a large country in Eastern Europe second only...
Instagram is a photo and video-sharing social networking service owned...
Ron DeSantis is an American politician and attorney currently serving...
Donald John Trump is an American politician media personality and...
Mark Zuckerberg is an American businessman best known as the...
Trending
32 minutes ago Sinaloa Cartel Leader Arrested in Oregon Fentanyl Bust Linked to Kotek friend.
2 hours ago Young Thug's new song snippet vows faithfulness to Mariah the Scientist: Album tease.
2 hours ago Edmonton Launches $1.5B Construction Season: Downtown Park, Residential Roads, and City Expansion.
2 hours ago NHL Playoffs: Wilson assists Carlson, Pacioretty impresses, Hurricanes stay calm in Game 1
2 hours ago Stephen King's 'The Long Walk' gets a chilling trailer after years in development.
2 hours ago Draisaitl's Overtime Goal Secures Oilers' Game 2 Victory, Leading Series 2-0.
Popular
Jane Goodall is a renowned English primatologist zoologist and anthropologist...
Pope Francis is the current head of the Catholic Church...
Michael Jordan also known as MJ is an American businessman...
Cristiano Ronaldo often nicknamed CR is a highly decorated Portuguese...
The Real ID Act of is a US federal law...
Russell Westbrook III is an American professional basketball player currently...