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
De Beers & GJEPC partner JioStar to promote diamonds in cricket broadcasts
New JioStar tie-up blends sport and style as diamonds shine on and off pitch
MUMBAI: De Beers Group has teamed up with the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council to bring natural diamonds into India’s cricket broadcasts, marking an unusual crossover between sport and sparkle.
The collaboration, in association with JioStar, will see women anchors adorned with natural diamond jewellery throughout the cricketing season, adding a premium visual layer to studio coverage. From statement necklaces to cocktail rings and stacked bracelets, the idea is to place diamonds squarely in the spotlight of one of India’s most-watched formats.
In a first, the broadcast will also feature a weekly segment titled ‘Real Diamonds of the Week’, celebrating standout cricketing performances while drawing a parallel with the rarity and resilience associated with natural diamonds.
Beyond the studio, the campaign leans into a broader cultural shift. Cricketers Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav front the initiative, reflecting a growing acceptance of diamonds as a form of everyday self-expression, including among men.
“India is reimagining its relationship with natural diamonds, and our partnership with JioStar is a celebration of that evolution,” said De Beers Group SVP Shweta Harit. She added that, much like cricket, natural diamonds represent something earned, enduring and rare, now increasingly tied to personal identity rather than just milestone occasions.
Echoing the sentiment, Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council chairman Kirit Bhansali said India is fast evolving from a manufacturing hub into a major consumer market for diamond jewellery. He noted that with India already the world’s second-largest diamond jewellery market and projected to reach Rs 1,500 billion by 2030, the cricket broadcast offers a powerful platform to connect with younger audiences.
The partnership also underscores a wider ambition within the industry to reposition natural diamonds as relevant, contemporary and woven into everyday culture.
From pitch-side drama to studio style, diamonds are stepping off the pedestal and into the mainstream, proving they can play the long game as well as any seasoned cricketer.
