Dwayne Johnson Reveals Game-Changing XFL Partnership
It could change how you watch TV!
Dwayne Johnson has been a staple for American audiences both on television and in film for many years now. Starting with a storied professional wrestling career, “The Rock” transitioned into film as a comedic action star known by his birth name, with films that have grossed over $10 billion globally to date. Setting his sights on other ventures and investment opportunities, Dwayne Johnson is changing up the XFL, a football league many thought might be done for good.
As reported by Deadline, along with his business partner Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson and the XFL will soon be synonymous with one another. Beginning in 2023, the league owned by Johnson and Garcia will have its games broadcast and distributed through some Disney-owned channels, from February through April. This will include ABC, FX, and ESPN. Garcia announced that all of this “is going to be perfectly timed for football fans who want the thrill of more touchdowns following the end of the college and the NFL season.”
The XFL, which was originally conceived in the early 2000s as a football league that would play in the offseason after all regular NFL games have concluded, was purchased by Garcia, Johnson, and Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital back in 2020 for $15 million, according to reports at the time by Sportico. Dwayne Johnson and the group’s XFL purchase apparently took place mere hours before an auction was to occur that would test the fate of the XFL. The company had seen dark days during the COVID-19 pandemic under the leadership of WWE executive Vince McMahon, who re-founded the league in 2018. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the XFL filed for bankruptcy a few weeks into the 2020 season as a direct result of operations being shut down and XFL employees being laid off.
While Dwayne Johnson’s purchase of the XFL is going to be an exciting change for the actor, Dany Garcia’s star may just be on the rise. Known to some as Johnson’s former wife and the producer on some of his well-known films, Garcia is also a successful businesswoman in her own right. She is the CEO of The Garcia Companies, as well as TGC Management, which encompasses a diverse portfolio of brands that include Teremana Tequila and Athleticon. She works in conjunction with her ex-husband on the Project Rock Collection, which has deals with VOSS, Atom Tickets, Under Armour, and ice cream company Salt & Straw.
Before Dwayne Johnson took over the XFL, he has been known as one of the most recognizable actors in cinematic history. Starting with his lead role in The Scorpion King, Johnson has progressed to film and television hits like The Game Plan, Skyscraper, San Andreas, Moana, and HBO’s Ballers. His stint as Luke Hobbs in the Fast and the Furious franchise, as well as his inclusion in the more recent Jumanji films, has made Johnson one of the most bankable actors working today. He will next be seen in the upcoming DC Extended Universe film Black Adam, playing the titular role, which is due to come out in theaters October 2022. Black Adam is supposedly a spin-off of the successful DCEU 2019 film Shazam! starring Zachary Levi, which will get its own sequel releasing in late 2022 as well.
