The Rock: WWE and film, movies star Dwayne Johnson joins TKO board - as Raw makes jump to Netflix

Wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson has entered into a new agreement with the WWE, where he will assume ownership of the "The Rock" stage name that shot him to stardom.

As part of the deal, Johnson will also take a position on the board of TKO Group, the sports and entertainment company that emerged from the merger of WWE and UFC in September 2023.

The name "The Rock" has roots with Johnson's father, WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson, who became the first black champion in WWE history when he won the World Tag Team Championship in 1983 along with his partner Tony Atlas.

While the in-ring name has been associated with Dwayne Johnson since his transition to the film industry, it previously belonged to WWE.

Johnson, a prominent figure in both film and wrestling, boasts a diverse business portfolio, including production company Seven Bucks Productions, tequila brand Teremana Tequila, energy drink company ZOA Energy, Project Rock apparel brand, and the United Football League.

“I am thrilled to partner with Dwayne and welcome his immense talent to TKO’s board,” TKO chief executive Ariel Emanuel said in a statement. “Dwayne brings an incredible track record of creating content and building globally recognised consumer brands, and he will play a key role in realising our ambitions for TKO.”

Johnson, who began his wrestling career with WWE in 1996, has recently appeared on WWE's Smackdown and Raw programmes. Speculation is rife that he may participate in this year's WrestleMania.

It is thought The Rock could return to face Roman Reigns at the upcoming event in Philadelphia. WrestleMania is WWE's biggest show of the year, and the company's highest profile bouts are often held back for the event.

Since this year's event will be WrestleMania's 40th edition, WWE are expected to go all out and bring back some past legends that have become synonymous with the show.

Reigns is Johnson's real-life cousin, and has been involved in a "Head of the Table" storyline which has seen him hold WWE's Universal Champion for 1,241 days, the longest championship reign since 1988.

WWE would likely want to capitalise on Johnson and Reigns' real-life familial ties, a move that could bring renewed interest to the product.

The announcement of Johnson's board appointment comes on the same day of news that, as of next year, WWE Raw, one of the world's most popular pro-wrestling shows, will stream exclusively on Netflix, putting an end to a 31-year run on broadcast television.

Raw - which has broadcast weekly on Monday night's since 1993 - will transition to a streaming-exclusive format from January 2025.

Fans outside the United States will have access to all weekly WWE shows and live events on the streaming service, including "Premium Live Event" specials (previously known as pay-per view events) such as WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble.

The initial impact of the new deal will be seen first by viewers in the USA, Canada, UK, and Latin America, with plans to expand to other countries later.