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Sun Direct taps into metro customers with ‘World Pack’ offering
MUMBAI: DTH operator Sun Direct has launched ‘World Pack’ which has nine top English entertainment channels in addition to all the channels available on the regular South Value pack and Cinema Plus at Rs 199 per month.
The nine new channels included in this new ‘World Pack’ are Star Movies, HBO, Zee Studio, Sony Pix, AXN, Discovery, Animal Planet, NGC and BBC World.
The new packages have been introduced as part of its new theme to ‘Think regional: Go metro’, thereby redefining the entertainment quotient of urban customers while retaining the core values of regional entertainment basket.
In the past, the regional operator has been harping on ‘Think regional: Go national’ theme.
Sun Direct CEO Mahesh Kumar said, “We have always been quick to spot a gap in the existing entertainment offerings and the new ‘World Pack’ is tailor made to address the city customers who are looking for world-class English channels which retaining the core regional/language channels. The icing on the cake is the additions of two new HD channels which will increase the quality of entertainment value to the customer.”
The operator is also wooing sports fanatics by launching “World Pack + Sports” which is being offered as an acquisition pack to the new customers at the rate of 1590 for one month and 2250 for four months subscription and existing customers can buy in the offer at 249 for one month.
Customers can choose any two sports channels under the plan – Star Cricket + Star Sports or Star Cricket + ESPN channels. Sun Direct also increased its HD channel offerings with the addition of Star Movies HD and Zee Studio HD at no extra cost.
The World pack is currently offered as an upgrade pack to existing customers.
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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.
