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Netflix in a deal with Disney-ABC Television
MUMBAI: : Internet streaming service company Netflix has entered into a licensing agreement with Disney-ABC Television Group companies that will allow the former to stream more episodes from the ABC Television Network, Disney Channel and ABC Family over the internet. With the agreement in force, Netflix will be able to stream some of the TV shows 15 days after their initial telecast.
The deal comes within days of Netflix bashing at the at the UBS Investor conference in New York. Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes had called the money that Netflix is offering to pay to license episodes of in-season TV shows “measly”.
Netflix has been accused as the prime driver of ‘cord-cutting‘ among consumers who ditch traditional cable and satellite subscription services to go with internet-based video services and the so-called ‘over the top‘ providers. The agreement would also increase the competition between, Netflix and Hulu, the online streaming service in which Disney is a part owner. Apparently Disney doesn‘t see the Internet streaming company as a threat.
Said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos, “TV content streamed from Netflix has proven to be immensely popular with our members. Adding to our existing Disney-ABC lineup with great network and cable shows, and opening up ABC Family for the first time, are important steps in creating a wide and diverse selection of content Netflix members of all ages can watch.”
This deal will significantly add to the growing selection of films and TV episodes that can be streamed from Netflix. According to experts, the deal is worth an estimated $ 200 million.
The TV shows that Netflix will get to stream include ABC‘s currently airing Grey‘s Anatomy, Brothers & Sisters, and Desperate Housewives, as well as every episode of Lost, Ugly Betty, and ABC Studios-produced shows like Scrubs and Reaper. ABC Family content will make its debut on Netflix with Greek, Make It or Break It, Melissa & Joey, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager.
The shows from Disney include Phineas and Ferb, Good Luck Charlie, and expanded offerings of The Suite Life on Deck, Wizards of Waverly Place and Hannah Montana.
As far as movies are concerned, the internet steaming service company gets Disney Channel and ABC Family films like High School Musical, High School Musical 2, Camp Rock and Beauty & the Briefcase, Avalon High, Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam and Revenge of the Bridesmaids.
The deal comes as good news for Netflix as its former deal with Warner Bros resulted in a bad end.
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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.
