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EchoStar to acquire Hughes Communications for $2 bn
MUMBAI: EchoStar Corporation, a telecommunication company, will acquire the broadband satellite technologies and services company Hughes Communications for approximately $2 billion.
According to the companies, this combination would create a worldwide leader in satellite delivered video and broadband services.
EchoStar will acquire all of the outstanding equity of Hughes and its subsidiaries including its main operating subsidiary, Hughes Network Systems. Also Hughes debt is expected to be refinanced in connection with the transaction.
Says Hughes president and CEO Pradman Kaul, “We are very pleased to announce this transaction as it brings together the two premier providers of satellite communications services and delivers substantial value to our shareholders. By combining Hughes‘ operational strength and proven record of customer satisfaction with EchoStar‘s expertise in cutting edge satellite video technology, customers will benefit significantly from our shared institutional excellence.”
The transaction is expected to close later this year, subject to certain closing conditions including receipt of federal regulatory approvals.
Adds EchoStar CEO and president Michael Dugan, “There is a unique and compelling fit between Hughes and EchoStar. With a rich engineering culture, an extensive fleet of owned and leased satellites, and experienced personnel in communications centers around the world, the combination of EchoStar and Hughes will create a powerful leader in video and data transport.”
The boards of directors of both companies have agreed that Hughes‘ shareholders will receive $60.70 per share without interest, which represents a premium of 31 per cent over Hughes‘ unaffected closing share price of $46.43 on 19 January 2011.
Investment funds affiliated with Apollo Management IV, L.P., who own a majority of Hughes‘ outstanding stock, have approved the transaction by entering into written shareholder consent.
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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.
