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Piracy main obstacle to pay-TV growth: Paul Aiello
MUMBAI: A country with a large population and economy should be a dream-come-true for pay-TV businesses. But this doesn‘t appear to be true in the case of Indonesia where the service is far behind most terrestrial, or free-to-air, television.
While India‘s pay-TV market penetration rate currently stands at 65 per cent, in Taiwan it is almost 90 per cent. However in Indonesia it is just 2.5 per cent. |
Talking about Star‘s pay-TV business in Indonesia, Aiello states, “Star started its business in Indonesia in early 1990. Our business includes satellites and a cable channel that offers close to 40 channels such as Star World, Star Movies and National Geographic Channel.” To a question on whether he was optimistic about the Indonesian market, Aiello asserts, “We are optimistic about Indonesia‘s fundamentals. However, it is critical that regulators and industry players support a favourable environment. The regulators have done a good job so far. “Honestly, I‘d like to see an increase in investment. But the critical issue is for industry participants to work constructively with regulators to develop the pro-growth agenda and pro-growth strategies that are necessary. Piracy is growing and in the pay-TV industry in Indonesia. We need to address this issue immediately because if piracy grows, it would be difficult for pay-TV to grow.” |
About the prospects of pay-TV in Indonesia Aiello avers, “The broadcasting summit that I just attended had participants discussing the prospects for broadcasting. I think everyone looks at the basic demography of Indonesia and also looks at the economic story, consumption pattern, infrastructure development and rising income per capita. All these suggest that there is a pretty good media market.”
About the growth of pay-TV in Indonesia, Aiello says, “Most pay-TV operators here have been able to grow large businesses because they provide a choice. A challenge here is rampant piracy because of which pay-TV in Indonesia has been unable to attract subscribers legitimately.
“In building pay-TV products in low-income countries, the challenge is making the price affordable. To provide value-for-money, pay-TV operators have to build good content, good services and provide choice. Large numbers of local investors are involved in the business. But I think the number of pay-TV providers will remain in the single digits over the long term.”
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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.
