Who would come to your mind first if someone asked you about podcasting? The probable answer would be UFC commentator and top American podcaster in the US, Joe Rogan. No surprise! Talking about the craze Rogan has generated in the podcast industry, his episode with President Donald Trump has broken records with 55+ million views on YouTube alone. But what’s his connection with the NFL world now? 

Former NFL star Antonio Brown has shared on X that he is appearing on the Joe Rogan Experience. He shared a screenshot which was a DM from Rogan: “Let’s do it, brother. Give me an email and I’ll have my guy Matt reach out with dates and set up your flights and hotels.” Extremely exciting update from @AB84, as people know, him sharing unknown stories about the football world. Fans also love AB for his clear and unique takes on X.

One X-user named ‘free speech’ commented on Brown’s post with a frog GIF, thinking out loud, “Free speech is worth fighting for.” And Antonio Brown rightly commented, “Legends…free speech will be a topic for sure.” Actually, on January 18, 2025, the former Steelers star shared an interesting update with fans on X. His post on X was captioned, “Cracker of the Day #CTESPN Legend @joerogan @jeorogensol.” It showed Rogan was sitting in his famous podcasting chair. And Rogan commented on that post, “A HUGE HONOR! Thank You!” So, people were already expecting Brown to be on the show. The date of the episode airing is not announced yet. But one thing is clear, Brown’s presence on the top podcast in the US will likely be more viral than anything else on that day. 

But wait, Joe Rogan is no longer the number-one podcaster in the United States. Shocking update, right? Yeah, but one new podcaster in the industry has indeed surpassed the 57-year-old UFC commentator. Wanna know who that is? Let’s dive in. 

Joe Rogan has been dethroned, but…

We all know how much content from YouTube and podcasts we consume. There have been a lot of stalwarts rising in the podcast industry as it’s boomed. But… Joe Rogan has been the dominant force in sportscasting through JRE. It would not be a dumb statement if we said a majority of podcasters are inspired by Joe Rogan and his success in the industry. But after decades of ruling the podcasting industry, the UFC commentator has been dethroned by The Mel Robbins Podcast to become the number one podcast on Spotify in the States.

We all know or must have heard of Robbins. She is an NYT Best-selling author as well. She started this podcast in 2022 as a celebration of her 54th birthday, whereas Rogan started in 2009. The Mel Robbins podcast describes itself in its bio, “You can change your life and Mel Robbins will show you how. Every episode is packed with deeply relatable topics, tactical advice, hilarious screwups, compelling conversations, and the tools and inspiration you need to create a better life.” Cool, right? Other than Robbins, Theo Von’s ‘This Past Weekend’ and Alex Cooper’s ‘Call Her Daddy’ are also in this fierce competition.

But man, this is not the first time Joe Rogan has been surpassed by competitors. A few weeks ago, former Philadelphia Eagles star Jason Kelce‘s wife Kylie Kelce overtook Joe Rogan Experience on Spotify. But guess what? Joe Rogan has beaten Kelce to become No. 1 podcaster again. Mel Robbins better watch her back (only in the podcasting race, of course).

The main point is that Joe Rogan has faced all this competition for years. Many podcasters have come and gone… but the way The Joe Rogan Experience has occupied people’s minds and won hearts is unmatchable. Maybe he just needs to drop that heart-to-heart with AB asap to get right back to the top of the charts!