The Rock Announces That The Keys To The XFL Have Been Handed Over (Photo)
The Rock has announced that his purchase of Vince McMahon's XFL football league is now complete.
"The deal is official closed and 'the keys' to the XFL have been handed over. I humbly accept and promise to put my callouses to hard work building our new brand. Congrats to my partners @DanyGarciaCo & #GerryCardinale and our sharp, hungry team. #XFLOwner #ForTheLoveOfFootball," Rock tweeted today, attaching a photo of his own key to the league.
As noted on August 7, a judge ruled that the XFL sale could move forward after XFL creditors filed a motion to stop the purchase, wanting changes made to the deal. It was noted then that Rock and his partners would officially take over control of the league later this month, and now it looks like that is happening.
Rock and his partners, Dany Garcia and RedBird Capital, formed a LLC to run the league with, called Alpha Acquico. It was reported earlier this month that they were looking at holding a 2021 season.
Vince first folded the XFL back in 2001 after one season. He brought it back this year and the league had found some success in the 5 weeks they ran before being forced to close again due to the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The league averaged 1.9 million TV viewers per game this season, and generated nearly $20 million in gross revenues this year, according to court filings. It had projected $46 million in gross revenues for the 10-game re-launch season this year, with each data point reportedly exceeding internal expectations.
Stay tuned for updates on The Rock's XFL. Below is his full tweet:
The deal is official closed and "the keys" to the XFL have been handed over. I humbly accept and promise to put my callouses to hard work building our new brand. Congrats to my partners @DanyGarciaCo & #GerryCardinale and our sharp, hungry team. #XFLOwner #ForTheLoveOfFootball pic.twitter.com/ctwRlewxxA
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) August 21, 2020