$11M Army Deal Fails As The Rock Allegedly Breaches Agreement

Earlier in 2024, the U.S. Army and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson entered into an $11 million sponsorship deal that included a component similar to an NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) agreement. However, the Army now claims that the 52-year-old Johnson did not fulfill his end of the bargain.

Part of the Army’s motivation for this deal was their ongoing struggle to attract male recruits since 2013. According to Fortune, the Army’s enlistment of male recruits has dropped by 35% over the past decade.

The deal involved Johnson’s United Football League (UFL), which offers players both an alternative and a pathway to the NFL. Johnson was also supposed to publish a specific number of service-related posts on his social media accounts to promote the Army. This aspect was crucial for the Army, as it aimed to leverage Johnson’s influence to boost recruitment numbers.

Despite their dissatisfaction, a spokesperson explained the Army cannot thoroughly assess the financial investment’s impact until the deal, which includes Army branding on team uniforms, fields, high school clinics, and on-field activations, is officially completed.

“We won’t have a clear view of the results of the partnership or impacts to the Army’s financial investment until all marketing elements are complete,” the spokesperson said. “This partnership allowed the Army to increase awareness and engage with a wider audience for Americans to learn about the possibilities of Army services.”

However, Megan Sweeney, a former senior advisor for communications at the U.S. Department of Defense, mentioned that the Army may have misunderstood the deal’s scope.

“While the Army may have thought they were getting The Rock, they were instead primarily getting a partnership with a minor football league,” Sweeney said. “The Rock is an investor of the UFL, but it’s not like he’s on the sidelines of every game. As a result, the Army seems to have paid Hollywood-level sponsorship money for minor-league exposure.”

Sweeney further noted that the Army reportedly did not get the promised social media exposure from Johnson’s team. “It may have cost the Army millions, but this incident will damage The Rock’s reputation as a brand ambassador without further explanation on his end,” she added. “It’s important to include provisions in brand ambassador contracts that protect both parties if one side fails to meet their responsibilities.”

Documents obtained by Military.com revealed that Johnson posted only two of the five promised social media posts. The Army had valued these posts at about $1 million each, leveraging Johnson’s 396 million Instagram followers for this valuation.

Reports indicate that Johnson’s partnership with the Army did not result in any new recruits and may have negatively impacted enlistment numbers. The Army reportedly wants to reclaim approximately half of the deal’s value, amounting to $6 million, though how they arrived at this figure remains unclear.

Laura DeFrancisco, a spokesperson for the Army’s marketing department, stated, “We are in the process of working with the UFL to determine the final cost.”

Internally, there were doubts about the partnership’s potential success. Staff pointed out that the combined leagues forming the UFL had limited reach, posing significant hurdles. These concerns were likened to an $88 million deal the National Guard had with NASCAR, which also failed to generate any recruits. Despite these doubts, Gen. Randy George, the Army Chief of Staff, managed to push the deal through, according to an email reviewed by Military.com.

Col. Dave Butler, a spokesperson for Gen. George, acknowledged that while Johnson didn’t meet the social media obligations, he remains a valuable partner to the military service branch. “In terms of The Rock, it’s unfortunate he was pulled away at a time when we expected him to be present to create content for his social media channels. But we’re working with the UFL to rebalance the contract. The Rock remains a good partner to the Army.”