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Stack selects Mundo as exclusive ad provider, $29 mn commitment in 2 yrs
MUMBAI: Mundo Inc., a leader in online performance based advertising, has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Mundo Media Ltd., has signed a two-year agreement to be the exclusive performance advertising service provider to Stack Media, the nation’s leading multi-platform sports performance content and media company for athletes. Beginning in July 2017, the agreement provides for US$ 28.8 million in minimum incremental advertising spend through the Mundo platform over the next two years.
“Stack is among the top brands in sports performance and athletic training and its website is home to exclusive content from many of the world’s most recognized professional athletes,” said Jason Theofilos, CEO of Mundo. “This multi-year agreement is the direct result of initiatives launched earlier this year to drive growth in the second half and demonstrates the value top publishers like Stack see in dedicating more of their advertising inventory to Mundo’s data-driven customer acquisition platform. Our performance-based model drives higher customer engagement for Stack and its advertisers, which should result in greater ROI for both.”
With more than 10 million unique visitors in peak months, Stack.com ranks among the top websites for the male 13-24 demographic according to top rating services such as Nielsen’s Digital Content Ratings. Stack’s content library includes over 12,000 exclusive videos and 25,000 articles featuring high profile athletes, coaches, and trainers. This includes top tier athlete relationships with over 500 professional athletes across all major sports including Cam Newton, Bryce Harper, Dwayne Wade, and Serena Williams.
Under the agreement, Mundo will execute advertising campaigns for Stack across the Mundo Network and Stack will provide Mundo with exclusive first right to sell against a select number of video and display impressions each month on the Stack website. Mundo will also collaborate with Stack to develop custom performance advertising programs for its direct brand advertisers. Mundo will also have the right to monetize advertising placements on its network and on the Stack website over and above the contracted impressions. Stack’s content development resources and branded content expertise will also be leveraged by Mundo as part of integrated ad campaigns across its proprietary Network.
“At Stack , we are focused on providing innovative content that inspires athletes to train and perform better,” said Nick Palazzo, CEO of Stack. “We also strive to bring innovation and higher performance to our advertising partners. By teaming with Mundo, we look forward to providing our advertisers with solutions that allow them to better connect and engage with our target demographic of young, active consumers, while reaching new users through Mundo’s vast network.”
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Microsoft names Asha Sharma CEO of Gaming division
Nadella appoints AI exec to lead Xbox after Phil Spencer’s retirement; 500 million MAUs mark new era from 20 February 2026.
MUMBAI: Xbox just levelled up its leadership and this time the boss comes with an AI cheat code. On 20 February 2026, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced Asha Sharma as the new executive vice president and CEO of Microsoft Gaming, overseeing the Xbox empire from Redmond, Washington. She steps into the role after Phil Spencer, who led the division since 2014, announced his retirement. The move follows the earlier departure of Xbox president Sarah Bond.
Nadella, writing on the Microsoft Corporate blog said, “I am long on gaming and its role at the center of our consumer ambition… Asha has helped build and scale services that reach billions of people and support thriving consumer and developer ecosystems.” He highlighted Sharma’s track record scaling platforms at global level from her time as chief operating officer at Instacart and vice president at Meta Platforms to her recent stint as president of Microsoft’s CoreAI product division since joining in 2024.
Sharma, a Carlson School of Management graduate with a BSc in Business, has held product leadership roles at Meta, board seats at Home Depot and Coupang, and worked on AI initiatives like Foundry, a platform embedding AI models into third-party apps. She described gaming as “a fusion of art and technology, empowering creators worldwide to push the boundaries of hardware and software.”
Microsoft Gaming boasts more than 500 million monthly active users, cementing its spot as one of the world’s top platforms. This autumn marks the 25th anniversary of the division (the original Xbox launched in 2001), a milestone Sharma will steer alongside renewed AI-driven innovation.
Matt Booty, head of Microsoft’s gaming studios, will report to Sharma as executive vice president and chief content officer. Nadella praised the duo for blending consumer product savvy with deep gaming expertise to fuel platform advances and content pipelines.
Industry eyes are fixed on how Xbox consoles fare against Sony and Nintendo amid fierce competition. Whether Sharma’s AI background sparks a new golden age for Xbox or simply keeps the lights on remains the big boss-level question but one thing’s clear, the next chapter of gaming at Microsoft just got a fresh player with serious strategic depth.
