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Animax launches on Crackle
MUMBAI: Crackle, which is Sony Pictures Entertainment‘s multi-platform video entertainment network, has announced that anime channel Animax will now appear on its multi-platform network in the U.S. and Canada.
The launch of Animax on Crackle marks the U.S. and Canadian entry of the largest cable network in Japan and the largest anime channel in the world. Numerous series will also be available exclusively on Crackle.
Offering an extensive collection of anime content with curated updates, the Animax channel on Crackle will be available via the Crackle site as well as on tablets, mobile and OTT devices.
Sony Pictures Television executive VP, digital networks Eric Berger said, “We are thrilled to bring new, exclusive anime series and films to Crackle fans, providing the widest distribution of free anime content on mobile and OTT devices. Crackle is the single best multi-platform source of free, ad-supported movies and television and the launch of Animax is no exception.”
Currently, 25 anime series and eight anime films are housed on Crackle, such as:
‘Samurai X‘, Blue Exorcist, ‘Blood +‘ and ‘Fist of the North Star‘.
With Animax, Crackle will launch new series and movies, such as ‘Kurozuka‘, ‘Initial D‘, ‘Fate/Zero‘ and ‘Ikki Tousen‘.
New episodes and/or series will launch every Wednesday on Crackle.
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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.
