Joe Rogan launched The Joe Rogan Experience in 2009. Steven Bartlett started The Diary Of A CEO in 2017. Roughly nine years later, Bartlett’s show reached a notable milestone.
On 1 November 2026, it recorded 21.3 million YouTube subscribers, just ahead of Rogan’s 21.2 million. According to producer FlightStory, that made it the most subscribed show among podcasts in YouTube’s Top 100 chart, using rounded public subscriber counts.
For business leaders, the useful question is how Bartlett built that momentum.
Our perspective at TIM Africa: he brings a marketer’s discipline to a format built on human curiosity. The conversation matters. So does every decision that helps someone discover it, watch it and return.
A marketer behind the microphone
Before becoming a prominent podcast host, Bartlett co-founded social media marketing agency Social Chain in 2014. Understanding how content earns attention was already part of his working life.
That background helps explain the intentional approach behind the show.
In a 2024 interview, Bartlett described testing titles, thumbnails and audience attention. He also credited consistent publishing and the move into video with changing the podcast’s trajectory.
These are his explanations of the growth strategy, rather than proof that any single tactic caused the milestone.
Before commissioning content, ask:
- Who will discover it?
- What will earn their attention?
- Where should their interest lead?
Intentional can still feel authentic
Bartlett has said that pursuing his own curiosity remains essential to choosing conversations. He even credits a lesson from Rogan with reinforcing that approach. Our reading is that this combination helps explain the show’s appeal: deliberate production around a host who appears personally invested in the answers.
For people appearing in branded content, that distinction matters.
- Prepare the subject thoroughly.
- Bring specific experiences, difficult decisions and lessons you can explain honestly.
- Give the host room to follow an unexpected answer.
Two shows. Different reasons to press play.
Both programmes explore multiple industries and perspectives.
Rogan’s official description includes comedians, actors, musicians, fighters, authors and scientists.
Bartlett’s show spans business, psychology, health, relationships, technology and global affairs.
The following is an editorial comparison, with variation between episodes.
| Element | The Joe Rogan Experience | The Diary Of A CEO |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting style |
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| Cultural perspective |
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| Subject approach |
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| Audience promise |
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Bartlett’s international positioning extends beyond guest selection. Even his episodes are available in more than 20 languages,
For South African businesses, that raises a valuable question: are language and guest selection expanding your audience’s understanding, or repeatedly serving the same circle?
Turn the lesson into a business decision
You do not need Bartlett’s audience size to build a valuable content programme. You do need a clear definition of value.
Before approving your next podcast series, make sure the team is aligned on:
At TIM Africa, we see the strongest opportunity where content, websites and performance work together. A conversation earns interest. Supporting material develops understanding. A relevant digital experience helps someone take the next step.
Bartlett’s milestone gives executives a reason to examine that whole journey.
The question to bring into your next meeting: what would make our content valuable enough for the right people to come back?