Specific details have surfaced regarding the WWE talent contract that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson signed with the company after joining the TKO Group Board of Directors this past January.
Brandon Thurston of Wrestle Nomics uncovered some of the specific details that are interesting to note in The Rock’s WWE talent contract, which was published as an exhibit this past February along with WWE’s annual report:
* The deal permits The Rock to hire “third party service providers in connection with developing concepts, scripts, storylines” with WWE’s approval.
* WWE will reimburse The Rock’s ‘Seven Bucks Entertainment’ company for the costs of those service providers.
* The deal is worth $30 million in TKO equity (“the Johnson Equity Award”) that vests on a schedule through the end of 2025.
* Part of that equity is for Johnson licensing his name, likeness and “certain other intellectual property rights to WWE for use in connection with certain categories of licensed products related to professional wrestling for up to 10 years, subject to certain earlier termination rights.”
* That intellectual property, which includes The Rock and most of his famous WWE catchphrases, cannot be used on things like political ads, alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, porn, or pop-up ads without his approval.
* At the end of 2023, The Rock got nearly $491,000 for royalties and will continue to receive yearly royalties for the sale of products with the aforementioned intellectual property.
The Rock is expected to return to WWE after his latest movie commitments, with a rivalry and match expected with WWE Universal Heavyweight Champion Cody Rhodes.
Dwayne Johnson's WWE talent contract was published as an exhibit to WWE's annual report filed back in February.
Parts of it are redacted and the contract has several schedules that are omitted because that information is the type that TKO "treats as private or confidential".…
— Brandon Thurston (@BrandonThurston) April 23, 2024
