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Sun TV selects Intelsat 17 to expand programming reach
MUMBAI: Sun TV Network has signed a multi-year, multi-transponder contract with Intelsat SA, the fixed satellite services provider, for C-band capacity on the recently launched Intelsat 17 satellite (IS-17).
The agreement marks the second major programmer to join the line-up at Intelsat’s newly expanded video neighborhood in the Indian Ocean region.
Sun TV will use the new satellite capacity to expand its programming distribution to viewers across India and beyond. Sun TV will migrate its current 20 channels to IS-17 and use additional bandwidth to support its expansion plans.
The IS-17 satellite was launched in November 2010 and entered service in January this year. It provides C- and Ku-band capacity across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Russia from the 66? E orbital location, with an expected service life through 2026.
“The IS-17’s multi-continental coverage provides us with a reliable and resilient distribution platform from which to serve our existing market, and also provides access to all of our potential distribution partners across the region,” said Sun TV CTO Sivanesh Kannan. “The satellite is ideally suited to support the introduction of new high-definition programming and ensures service continuity for many years to come.”
Intelsat’s SVP of Global Sales Kurt Riegelman said, “The addition of Sun TV further enhances IS-17 as the Indian Ocean region’s new programming neighborhood. We are grateful for the opportunity to support Sun TV’s regional content distribution requirements and HD expansion plans.”
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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.
