It’s a name that’s practically synonymous with professional wrestling, but Dwayne Johnson never legally owned the rights to the name “The Rock.”
This is now done, since Johnson has concluded a new agreement with the WWE which will also allow him to join the board of directors of the TKO Group, an entertainment company which notably owns the WWE and the UFC.
“The Rock” is a derivative of the name of Johnson’s father, Rocky Johnson, who was the first black wrestler to be crowned champion in WWE history (along with his partner Tony Atlas), according to WWE.
Johnson, a star wrestler and actor, owns several businesses including production company Seven Bucks Productions, tequila brand Teremana, energy drink company ZOA Energy, clothing brand Project Rock and the United Football League.
“I am very pleased to welcome Dwayne as a business partner and to be able to benefit from his immense talent within the board of directors of the TKO Group, declared the president and director of operations of the TKO Group, Ariel Emanuel, by press release. Dwayne has an impressive track record as a content creator and has developed brands that are now known internationally, and he will be instrumental in achieving TKO Group’s goals. »
The TKO Group added that Johnson will join the board of directors, starting Tuesday.
Johnson began his professional wrestling career with WWE in 1996. He has recently made appearances on SmackDown And Rawand there are rumors that he could be back in the ring for WrestleMania This year.
Raw on Netflix from 2025
Furthermore, WWE’s weekly television show called Raw will be broadcast on the Netflix platform starting next year. This announcement is part of a major agreement with the American broadcaster.
Rawwhich first aired in 1993, has produced 1,600 shows so far and currently features wrestlers such as Cody Rhodes, Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins and Rhea Ripley.
The three-hour show, which is currently broadcast on the network USA Network, and its broadcast rights have been popular in recent months, particularly since the return of wrestler CM Punk last November. Several observers also believed that several internet broadcasting platforms would be interested in obtaining the rights to Raw.
“We are happy to be able to count on WWE Rawas well as its impressive, passionate, multi-generational fan base, on Netflix,” said General Manager Content Bela Bajaria.
WWE, which is part of the TKO Group, clarified on Tuesday that Raw will be broadcast on Netflix starting in January 2025. This announcement will have an impact for consumers in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Latin America and many other territories. WWE has indicated that this decision will impact other countries and territories over the years.