Applications
Supreme Court dismisses Asianet petition against ESPN
MUMBAI: The Supreme Court has dismissed the interlocutory application filed by Asianet Satellite Communications (Asianet) against ESPN Software India.
Asianet is seeking early hearing of their appeal against the Tdsat order denying the company discounted services from ESPN.
ESPN said in a statement that Asianet wanted services of its channels – ESPN, Star Sports and Star Cricket channels at a huge discount from the prevailing rate. “The monthly subscription fee offered by Asianet was much lower than the interim arrangement between the parties which expired in May, 2011, and was entered into when Asianet first filed the appeal in the Supreme Court in 2010,” the company said.
The interim arrangement, ESPN said, was arrived post extended negotiations and was accepted by top officials of Asianet. “Post May‘11, without any fresh facts Asianet sought further reduction in the subscription fee claiming a lesser market share of 25 per cent in Kerala and seeking parity on that basis. Such unsubstantiated claims were the reason the Tdsat passed an adverse order against Asianet initial petition on 28 May, 2010,” ESPN said.
It is against this order that Asianet had filed the appeal on the same grounds and filed an interlocutory application for early hearing during pendency of the appeal.
The Apex Court considered the matter and initially directed the parties to explore a negotiated settlement. However, ESPN said that further talks ended in stalemate since Asianet made “unrealistic offers”.
The Supreme Court, after hearing both parties, dismissed Asianet‘s application. The matter will now proceed ordinarily as and when it is listed in due course.
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.
