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Viacom18 signs content distribution deal with iStream.in
MUMBAI: Viacom18 and online video content networks company iStream.in have entered into an online video content distribution deal.
The deal will see iStream.in digitising, packaging and managing all video content belonging to Viacom18 channels across all online platforms.
Viacom18, the Network18 and Viacom JV, operates and runs a clutch of TV channels including Colors, MTV, Nick and Vh1.
“This is one of the biggest deals in the online video content market in India. Video is the fastest growing segment online and this deal will ensure that reality shows like Bigg Boss, Fear Factor-Khatron Ke Khiladi as well as serials like Balika Vadhu apart from properties like Roadies and Splitsvilla will be available online,” says iStream.in founder and CEO Radhakrishnan Ramachandran.
As part of the deal, iStream.in will create and manage online destinations for Viacom18 video content across multiple platforms. iStream.in currently has partnerships with all major online platforms like YouTube, Dailymotion, MSN, Yahoo, Indiatimes and Sify.
“We believe we can build equally powerful properties in the online space adding entertainment and engagement off the television screen as well,” says Viacom18 Media SVP – strategy & business development Anuj Poddar.
iStream will also have access to all archived content from Viacom18 including MTV Bakra with Cyrus Broacha and MTV Loveline with Malaika Arora.
The worldwide market for the ad-supported online video market is estimated at $3.5 billion and is expected to see a compounded annual growth rates of more than 35 per cent over the next four years, the company said in a statement.
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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.
