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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.”
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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.
