MAM
WWE introduces Legends Programme for licencees
MUMBAI: In order to boost its revenues from licensing and merchandising activities the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has announced a legends programme. In India WWE action airs on Ten Sports.
The WWE states that it has a rich history of great superstars that fans are still interested in although they have retired. The programme will allow fans to buy their products like DVDs and toys.
More than 25 wrestling greats have signed on to the Legends initiative. They include “Rowdy” Roddy Piper™, Jerry “The King Lawler, and “Superstar” Billy Graham,.. The WWE states that it is now ready to start issuing licensed merchandise at retail outlets. WWE issued its first official Legends DVD, Greatest Wrestling Stars of the ‘80’s earlier this month.
Over the next several months, there will be Legends action figures, apparel, books, and more DVDs. The Legends themselves will be touring the US promoting a wide range of WWE activities, including WWE 24/7. Also in the works are Legends fantasy weekends where the fans will have a chance to reminisce with their favourite WWE Legend.
The WWE Legends initiative began informally with the introduction of WWE’s new subscription video on demand (SVOD) service, WWE 24/7™ — which is, and will be, distributed by cable, telephony, and satellite partners worldwide — and through the use of the massive video library WWE has amassed over the past several years in career retrospective DVDs, such as The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection and The Rise + Fall of ECW.
WWE senior VP consumer products Donna Goldsmith says, “Our fans have been clamouring for us to do more with their favorite wrestlers of the past, and the WWE Legends initiative is intended to do just that. Through apparel, action figures, video games, DVDs, collectables, and other licensed products, WWE reminds our fans of our great heritage and those great members of the professional wrestling industry who remain their heroes.”
Goldsmith indicated that the Legends initiative could have a far reaching impact for the company. “If we can rekindle in the minds of casual and lapsed wrestling fans why they loved the WWE by reconnecting them with their pop culture icons, then we have a chance at getting them more involved in the current television programmes, Pay-Per-View television events, and products that we offer. Sometimes you need to remind people of your past to get them to be part of your future.”
Brands
Hiili names Sanjay Hemady as country manager India
Media veteran to drive digital decarbonisation push
MUMBAI: Climate tech firm Hiili has announced its entry into India, appointing industry veteran Sanjay Hemady as India country manager to steer its growth in one of the world’s fastest-expanding digital markets.
Hemady, a familiar name across India’s media and consulting circles, will lead Hiili’s India operations from Mumbai. His mandate is clear: help Indian companies measure, manage and reduce the carbon emissions generated by their digital services.
Hiili offers a scientifically validated platform, certified by the UC3M-Santander Big Data Institute, that enables businesses to improve the efficiency of their digital infrastructure while cutting emissions. As organisations race to meet ESG targets, the company positions itself as a practical bridge between climate pledges and measurable action.
“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as country manager, India at Hiili,” Hemady said in a LinkedIn post, adding that the company aims to move beyond broad sustainability promises towards precise, science-based decarbonisation.
Hemady brings more than three decades of experience spanning print, television, radio and digital media. He has previously served as chief executive officer at HIT 95 FM, assistant general manager at CNBC TV18, and held leadership roles at MTV India and The Indian Express, among others. Most recently, he worked as an independent business consultant advising firms across media and technology.
With India’s digital economy expanding at pace, the environmental cost of data, streaming and online services is climbing quietly in the background. Hiili’s bet is that carbon efficiency will soon sit alongside cost efficiency in boardroom conversations.
For Hemady, the move marks a shift from selling airtime and ad inventory to championing climate accountability. If successful, Hiili’s India play could make digital growth not just faster, but cleaner too.
