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Lionsgate, Hulu, Microsoft, Google hit the Casbaa trail
MUMBAI: Lionsgate, Microsoft, Hulu, Google and Adobe are to take part in the upcoming Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (Casbaa) convention in Hong Kong.
The convention will take place from 25-28 October.
On 26 October Lions Gate Entertainment vice chairman Michael Burns will outline the global challenges and opportunities for the producers of shows such as Mad Men and the distributors of a suite of new channels specifically designed for the Asia Pacific pay-TV market in his opening keynote.
Meanwhile, in the closing segment of the Convention 2010, online video service Hulu senior VP International Johannes Larcher will outline a “ground-breaking” business model and the potential for migration from the US to Asia and beyond.
Larcher will be joined by Microsoft senior director of business incubation Meredith Amdur discussing the key drivers for success in the development of new products and industry innovation, with Google head of online media sales Asia Pacific and Japan Parminder Singh.
Supported by Adobe, the closing panel will debate how future developments of innovative content and technological wizardry will reshape the global entertainment space.
Casbaa CEO Simon Twiston Davies says, “Changes in content creation, distribution, monetisation and consumption have opened up new opportunities for service providers to differentiate themselves beyond simple transport. The future of digital media belongs to those who respond creatively to the fast changing needs of consumers.”
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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.
