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Dana White and Joe Rogan Make the 2021 List for the Most Powerful Entertainers on the Planet

Published 01/09/2022, 10:45 AM EST

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The UFC had one of its business years in 2021. Apart from blockbuster PPV buys and top TV ratings, the promotion earned the recognition of the masses. As Variety magazine included UFC President Dana White and color commentator Joe Rogan in its list of Top 500 most powerful people in entertainment.

The list includes the top 500 individuals on the planet with the most influence on the general population. Actors such as Scarlett Johansson, Pro-wrestler turned actor Dwayne Johnson and Big Hit entertainment’s Chairman Bang Si-hyuk were also included in the list.

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Notably, the mentions also included many from the sports entertainment business. Such as NBA commissioner Adam Silver, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, and WWE Inc. President Nick Khan.

Meanwhile, UFC President Dana White has been an honoree of the Variety since 2017 and this is his fifth mention.

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Remarkably, Variety 500 featured White because of his bold strategy to tackle the pandemic and successfully steering UFC’s ship to profits while other leagues were suffering from the pandemic. “While other sports league chiefs take a hard line on pandemic safety, he thumbs his nose at coronavirus concerns,” Variety wrote about White.

Contrastingly, this is Joe Rogan’s second mention on the list, as he was inducted into it for the first time in 2020. Moreover, it is evident that UFC had no part to play in Rogan’s induction. As it was his $100 Million deal with Spotify regarding his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, that spearheaded Rogan’s success.

Variety mentioned Rogan on their list as, “He and his no-holds-barred podcast have proved themselves cancellation-proof in the face of multiple controversies.”

The Joe Rogan Experience is the biggest podcast on Spotify

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Joe Rogan has made it big in the entertainment business, and that is no news. The MMA fanatic turned commentator turned podcaster is at the helm of the audio business after his mega-deal with Spotify. However, it looks like Spotify was accurate in its business priorities, as JRE became the most heard podcast on the platform in 2020.

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As reported by Spotify, JRE stands at #1 in its ranking ahead of Call Her Daddy and The Daily by The New York Times podcasts being #2 and #5, respectively.

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What do you think of Rogan and the President’s inclusion on the list? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Aashish Kumar

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Aashish Kumar is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. A graduate in Journalism & Mass Communication, this Israel Adesanya fan has interned at reputed media houses and gained valuable reporting experience. Building on that experience, Aashish will look to tap into his love for combat sports and let fans benefit from his passion and journalistic expertise.
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