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MSM Discovery adds Neo channels to bouquet
MUMBAI: MSM Discovery is adding sports channels to its entertainment, infotainment and news stable, entering into a three-year distribution pact with Neo Sports for an undisclosed amount.
The company, which operates under the OneAlliance brand, will get to distribute Neo Sports and Neo Cricket on cable and HITS (Headend-In-The-Sky) platforms. Neo will continue to keep the DTH side of its distribution business.
Says Multi Screen Media CEO Man Jit Singh, “Having Neo with its coverage of BCCI cricket complements the strength the bouquet draws from IPL and gives our bouquet the two largest cricket properties and a year round sports presence. TheOneAlliance has a significant presence in every genre and is the strongest distribution bouquet in India.”
MSM Discovery will distribute the channels from 1 September. “There is a short transition phase. TheOneAlliance will distribute the channels from 1 September. Neo will continue to distribute the two channels on DTH,” says Neo Sports Broadcast president affiliate sales Arun Poddar.
Neo Cricket has the rights of all the BCCI events in India till 2014. Its line up for the next few months include the Australia and New Zealand tour. Neo Sports, on the other hand, showcases football, tennis, golf and other sporting properties.
“We are the only distribution platform which offers the best of channels in all genres including sports. We will be distributing the Neo channels on analogue and digital cable and HITS platform,” says MSM Discovery president Rajesh Kaul.
TheOneAlliance has in its family channels like Sony, Max, Sab, Pix, AXN, Discovery, Discovery Travel and Living, Animal Planet, Aaj Tak, NDTV 24X7, NDTV India and NDTV Profit.
Says Neo Sports Broadcast chairman Harish Thawani, “TheOneAlliance and Neo Sports Broadcast distribution deal is a strategically sound arrangement. The OneAlliance has proven track record of quality distribution and Neo Sports Broadcast has key properties on Neo Cricket and Neo Sports. This deal will provide an extremely robust platform for higher reach and empower the viewers to consume quality sports properties.”
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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.
