Shane McMahon

From the days of the iconic Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant and Jake the Snake Roberts, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has been bringing action-packed, ringside entertainment into living rooms across the globe on a weekly basis. Its television programming can be seen in more than 130 countries, with story lines that resonate with audiences worldwide.

"Our Superstars and Divas play larger-than-life characters that easily capture the imagination of our viewers," says Shane McMahon, the executive VP of global media for WWE. "One of the key reasons that WWE is such a global phenomenon is that our product is easy to understand no matter the culture or language of the people watching. The message found within our stories—that of protagonist versus antagonist—transcends language and cultural differences. You can turn the sound off on your television and still follow the drama and excitement as our stories unfold by simply watching the action."

Though its programming is centered on wrestling, WWE is more keen to call its content sports entertainment, explains McMahon. "Unlike boxing and UFC, we do not define ourselves as a competitive sport. And unlike those sports, we always have an entertaining product that will keep you on the edge of your seat every performance."

The WWE franchise extends well beyond the TV set, though. A slew of merchandise, licensed products, publishing, digital and pay-per-view events surround the brand and have become part of WWE’s overall business model. If all that wasn’t enough, the company has also set its sites on new media, harnessing a 360-degree approach for its characters and programs. "Our goal is to provide WWE content for all media platforms so our fans can enjoy our brand of entertainment when they want it and how they want it," says McMahon. "You can find WWE content on television, pay-per-view, video on demand, mobile phones, on DVD and on the web. And we will continue to grow our presence on all these platforms, while keeping an eye out for the new-media applications to come."

Also helping keep the brand fresh, WWE is always looking to bring on new talent for its cast of characters, both villains and heroes. "These fresh faces add depth to our rosters and allow us to develop new and exciting story lines for the future entertainment of our fans." Those with the potential of becoming future "Superstars" are sent to WWE’s developmental program in Tampa, Florida: Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW).

Despite its rough-and-tough subject matter, WWE’s actually a family company. Its roots go back four generations, with Shane following his great-grandfather, Jess McMahon, his grandfather Vincent J. McMahon, and his father Vincent K. McMahon. And he feels confident about stepping up to make sure the company’s future extends for many more. "My main role is to continue my family’s legacy by growing our business to its fullest potential across as many platforms as possible around the world, and bringing further value to our fans and our investors."