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Big CBS prices 3 channels at Rs 21
MUMBAI: Big CBS, the joint venture company between Big Broadcasting and CBS Corp, has finalised the subscription rates of its three upcoming channels.
The company, which will be launching Big CBS Prime, Big CBS Spark and Big CBS Love by end of October, will be offering the channel bouquet at Rs 21.20 (Rs 9.20 for Big CBS Prime, Rs 6 for Big CBS Spark and Big CBS Love).
Meanwhile, Big CBS Prime is priced at Rs 14 on a la carte basis, while the other two channels will cost Rs 11 each.
The rates for the addressable/digital platforms have been kept at 35 per cent of non-addressable rates, as per Trai’s latest tariff order.
The company also announced the commercial rates of the channel. While Big CBS Prime is priced at Rs 50, the other two channels are kept at Rs 30 each.
Reliance Big Broadcasting COO Ashutosh said, “Distribution is one of the most critical aspects for the success of a television channel. Visualising a potential growth in digital as well as analog platforms, there is a critical need for right pricing. Keeping in mind consumers’ need for English GEC and distributor’s needs, Big CBS channels are fixed at very competitive prices and we are confident it will see positive response from distributors.”
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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.
