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Turner, NCTC reach deal
MUMBAI: US broadcaster Turner Broadcasting and NCTC have reached a long-term distribution agreement.
The renewal grants NCTC members continued access to Turner‘s portfolio of networks including CNN, TBS, TNT and Cartoon Network. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Under the terms of the agreement, Turner‘s portfolio of networks including CNN, HLN, TNT, TBS, Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies (TCM), truTV, CNN International, CNN en Espa?ol and Boomerang will continue to be carried by NCTC‘s nearly 1,000 independent cable operator members across the US.
As part of the deal, NCTC members will have rights to carry a myriad of entertainment, kids, news, sports and young adults programming, as well as on-demand content that is available across the Turner networks, including award-winning news and information from CNN, marquee sports programming such as the NBA and NCAA® Division I Men‘s Basketball Championship, TBS‘s ‘Conan‘ and TNT‘s ‘Rizzoli and Isles‘ and ‘Falling Skies‘ and Cartoon Network‘s ‘Regular Show‘ and ‘Adventure Time‘.
Turner Broadcasting System president of sales, distribution and sports David Levy said, “The extension of our comprehensive renewal agreement with the NCTC highlights the growing value of the Turner portfolio and drives home our commitment to deliver marquee content to their customers. We‘re proud to continue our long relationship with the NCTC and the viewers they serve.”
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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.
