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Dish to replace AMC with commercial-free HD movies
MUMBAI: US pay TV service provider Dish will replace three AMC Networks channels — IFC, WE and AMC — tomorrow with what the company believes is stronger movie and entertainment content.
Dish will be providing HDNet Movies to replace AMC, and is offering Style and HDNet to replace WE and IFC. This follows the expiry of AMC‘s contract.
Dish had argued that AMC was asking for a high renewal
rate.
Dish senior VP of programming Dave Shull said, “HDNet Movies and HDNet are exciting offerings for our customers. These are networks that will bring great entertainment, including first-run, commercial-free movies in high definition to our customers. DISH is the only pay-TV provider that did not raise its core package prices in 2012. We will continue to fight hard for choice, control, and value in home entertainment.”
Dish notified AMC Networks earlier in the year of its decision not to renew its contract due to the channels‘ high costs compared to their relatively low viewership.
Dish‘s actions come as AT&T and AMC Networks negotiate over what AT&T this week called an “excessive rate increase.”
“A significant portion of any pay-TV bill goes to fees for content providers like AMC Networks. “AMC Networks requires us to carry low-rated channels like IFC and WE to access a few popular AMC shows.
The math is simple: it‘s not a good value for our customers,” added Shull.
AMC Networks has further devalued its programming by making its handful of shows available to consumers via iTunes, Netflix and Amazon.com.
“One of AMC‘s biggest historical draws has been movies. However, their performance has been trumped by other DISH movie offerings, including the many thousands of titles available on Blockbuster @Home and from top-quality providers such as HBO, Showtime, Starz, EPIX, MGM HD, IndiePlex, and RetroPlex,” Shull said.
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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.
