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Fireworks in deal with MTV for drama series Valemont
MUMBAI: Fireworks International, the television and digital distribution arm of ContentFilm, has announced a two-year multi-platform deal for its new drama series Valemont, with MTV Networks International (MTVNI).
The series will run across MTV and Viva channels in more than 150 countries online and linear.
The deal incorporates rights to all content for Valemont, which is produced by Electric Farm Entertainment, including 35 short form episodes, the Alternate Reality Game, the prequel episodes and extra videos for online, plus five half-hour episodes and the 100-minute TV movie.
At Valemont University, the students are young, beautiful and the future of the world – but nothing is quite as it seems. The university is not just a school for humans but a breeding community for vampires too. The professors are the elders and the students are the next generation, training to become the monsters of legend in order to fulfill their blood legacy. And Valemont’s residents will go to any lengths to stop their dark secrets from being revealed.
MTV Brands International content and programming VP David Booth says, “Creating a deeper interaction and experience for our viewers through our content is core to what we do. Valemont’s dynamic storytelling and ability to maintain a strong and compelling narrative across linear, online and mobile perfectly delivers for our audience.”
Fireworks International executive VP, digital acquisitions and distribution Jonathan Ford commented, “Valemont is a stunning series, perfectly capturing the vampire teen zeitgeist with high quality, adaptable content that works across all platforms, and this deal will see the drama available to an audience of millions of digital users throughout the world.”
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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.
