Applications
AXN releases game to promote ‘The Firm’
MUMBAI: Action oriented broadcaster AXN has rolled out the the digital feature �Unlock Mitch McDeere, which will provide users an opportunity to watch the first five minutes online of the highly anticipated AXN Original Series, The Firm.
The series will launch on 19 February across Sony Pictures Television’s global network of channels in 111 territories across the world and reaching over 121 million homes.
‘Unlock Mitch McDeere‘ is an interactive platform to explore aspects of Mitch’s life and the forces throwing it into a constant state of chaos: his family, his brilliant legal mind, his ties to the mob and FBI, and the constant threat of underlying conspiracy.
As users explore the items that represent different facets of Mitch’s life, they discover that by matching correct combinations, they will unlock short video montages that relate to an aspect of Mitch’s character.
Once a user watches all four videos, they will unlock a special five-minute sneak peek of the premiere episode.
SPT is also releasing a portfolio of other exclusive digital features for The Firm, including �The Chronology of Events�, which is an interactive timeline that tracks key moments of the series, and �The Firm Character Quiz.�
John Grisham’s best-selling novel was made into a movie, also called The Firm, in 1993, starring Hollywood heavyweight Tom Cruise. Shot on location in Canada, the TV reincarnation of the book and film picks up 10 years after young hot shot lawyer, Mitch McDeere, brought down a Memphis law firm fronting the Chicago mob.
Mitch and his family attempt to reclaim their lives by moving to DC to start their own firm after leaving the Federal Witness Protection Program.
Applications
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.
