The podcast game is one that is quickly filling up with tons of famous faces and rising stars who are all looking to have their voices heard by fans. Whether a podcast gets 1 listener or 1 million, the medium is an incredible way for people to express themselves in a way that is easy for their audience to enjoy.
Joe Rogan is the biggest podcaster in the world today, and he has put in years of work to get to where he is. Rogan might be the top podcaster around, but long before this was the case, he was making waves on television. In fact, the comedian even starred on a sitcom back in the '90s.
Let's take a look back at Rogan's old sitcom, NewsRadio.
Joe Rogan Is A Massive Podcaster
As the biggest podcaster in the world today, millions of listeners around the globe are familiar with Joe Rogan and his monster podcast. The man was in the podcast scene early, and thanks to having a variety of guests from all backgrounds and providing them a platform, Rogan has been able to haul in a loyal listener base.
News of Rogan moving to Spotify for $100 million certainly made headlines, and it was proof that the medium itself was only getting bigger. Rogan has been podcasting since the dark days, but these days, instead of just being another voice in the medium, he's the one leading the charge.
It has been truly fascinating to see how things have played out for the guy. Love him or hate him, he's a huge success who has always done things his way, regardless of how other people have felt about it.
Rogan is certainly known best for his work in podcasting, but long before this was the case, he was making waves on television.
He's Done A Ton Of TV Work
On the small screen, Joe Rogan has done a ton of work, and this was instrumental in the comedian building up his name in entertainment.
Fear Factor was a massive success on TV, and Rogan hosted the show for years. He was good at what he did, and he became synonymous with the show. Naturally, he was netting a decent check and was growing in popularity, which helped his podcast grow over time.
Of course, there is no way of looking at what Rogan has done on television without shining a light on his work with the UFC. He's been with the promotion for ages, and fans genuinely love what he brings to the commentary team during the UFC's biggest fights.
The truth is that most people are aware of Joe Rogan's time on Fear Factor and with the UFC, but back in the '90s, Rogan was able to secure a role on a sitcom that wound up netting him plenty of money and plenty of exposure.
'NewsRadio' Was A Successful Sitcom
From 1995 to 1999, Joe Rogan was a featured performer on NewsRadio, which is a sitcom that many people seem to have forgotten about. It does not have the same type of legacy as other successful shows from the '90s, but it's important to not overlook the success that the show had.
For 5 seasons and nearly 100 episodes, NewsRadio was a fixture on the small screen, and it even made its way into syndication. The series featured names like Phil Hartman, Maura Tierney, and Jon Lovitz, and it was actually quite funny.
Because of the show's success, it makes sense that Rogan was making some decent money. No specifics are known, but an interesting tidbit about his spending habits during that time have emerged.
According to TVOvermind, "Joe Rogan spent $10,000 a month to play Quake at one time in his life. Yes, you read that correctly. Back when he still had hair, when he was still a TV star, he played Quake for about 8 to 10 hours a day like a lot of people addicted to the game, and thanks to a shoddy internet line he decided to upgrade to a T1 line, which back then ran about ten grand a month."
That is an insane amount of money to spend each month just to play video games, but when you're on a hit show, you can afford things like that.
As we have all seen, things would only get bigger for Rogan after NewsRadio came to an end. Not only has he gotten bigger, but so has his bank account.
Despite the show's popularity, it seems like it simply ran its course after five seasons with NBC, leading to the finale.