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Asianet switches from GlobeCast to Dish in US; adds a new channel to US bouquet
BENGALURU: Dish, a leading pay-TV provider in the US announced the launch of Asianet, Asianet Plus, Asianet News and Asianet Movies to its lineup. Additionally, Dish‘s broadcast of Asianet Movies marks the US premiere of the Malayalam film channel. Earlier, three of Asianet‘s channels were available in the US on the France Telcom subsidiary GlobeCast.
Industry sources reveal that Asianet‘s agreement with GlobeCast ends on June 30 and the association will be terminated. “Dish is a one stop shop for the Indian, no, Asian diaspora. Be it Vijay TV or the Star Network channels, or other bigwigs of Indian television broadcasting like the channels of Zee or Sony, all are on Dish, so it makes sense for Asianet to be on the Dish platform. It‘s a win-win situation for all,” explained the source about Asianet‘s shift.
Asianet Communications MD K. Madhavan statement in a press release seems to endorse this fact, “When Asianet entered the US market in 2003, our overarching goal was to expand the presence of our special programming. Partnering with Dish to launch the Asianet channels allows us to realize this dream of providing yet another incredible addition to the lineup of Malayalam content in the United States”.
“We are pleased to exclusively offer this programming on satellite and proud to debut Asianet Movies for the first time in the U.S. Dish has long offered an impressive South Asian channel lineup, and we are dedicated to the consistent pursuit of the best news and entertainment tailored to a variety of language groups,” said Dish director of international programming Sruta Vootukuru.
As the US leader in international programming with more than 280 ethnic channels in 29 languages, Dish is the exclusive satellite pay-TV platform to offer this leading Malayalam-language content.
The Malayalam Asianet programming package is now available to customers for $24.99 per month. Effective June 20, all Malayalam: Mega Pack or Surya a la carte customers will be eligible to subscribe to Asianet as an add-on package for a monthly price of $15.
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
