Dwayne Johnson reacts to new TKO role, securing ownership of ‘The Rock’ name in todays Wrestling news
The Rock rang out the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange Tuesday.
On Tuesday, WWE representatives were in New York City to ring the New York Stock Exchange’s opening bell.
On Tuesday morning, it was announced that Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson had been appointed to the TKO Group Holdings board of directors (WWE parent company). WWE announced that it had agreed to a 10-year contract to bring Raw to Netflix beginning in January 2025.
TKO Group celebrated with Johnson ringing opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Vince McMahon was there, as well as Paul “Triple H”, Nick Khan, Endeavor/TKO’s CEO Ari Emanuel and others.
After ringing the bell, Johnson and Emanuel were interviewed on CNBC together. Here are notes from their appearance.
Ari Emanuel:
- When asked about the increase for Raw’s rights, Emanuel said the financial terms of the Netflix deal are “in line” with the stock market’s expectations. Emanuel thinks Netflix is a global leader and the best company for sports entertainment, which they’ve proven with Formula 1 and the Tour de France.
- Emanuel thinks this is an important step for Netflix. Live programming is important for Netflix.
- TKO stock is currently up nearly 20 percent after today’s news. Emanuel stressed that the word “Netflix” is a big part in that. The relationship with Netflix strengthens WWE’s brand on a global basis.
- Emanuel doesn’t think linear TV or cable is going away, but there is a push to streaming. WWE has a linear play with SmackDown and NXT, and Raw is their streaming play. Emanuel thinks it’s a great deal for Netflix.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson:
- Joining the TKO board of directors is an “unprecedented” move. His grandfather Peter Maivia and father Rocky Johnson would have never thought that something like this would happen.
- There’s no CEO in the world like Ari Emanuel. Game-changing deals are a testament to who Emanuel is. Johnson is excited for the WWE-Netflix deal.
- Johnson has secured full ownership of his “The Rock” name in addition to joining the TKO board of directors. Johnson said there’s a business and economic side of getting the name, but it goes much deeper than that for him. Johnson owes The Rock name everything. There would be no wrestling or Hollywood career without it. The name is a derivative of his father. Emanuel had a million reasons to say no, but he found the reason to say yes. The name is something that Johnson has earned and Emanuel thinks belongs to Johnson.
- This is Johnson’s first time on the board of directors for a public company. He’s been asked to join other boards in the past, but the family connection makes this important. Johnson is excited about it and always looking to grow. Johnson is a builder of things and enjoys building. He loves and admires Emanuel and loves building with him.
Dwayne Johnson reacts to new TKO role, securing ownership of ‘The Rock’ name in todays Wrestling news, Chatalong Chatbox, Results will be Hidden inside a spoiler Button so you will not bet spoiled about direct results.
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