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AXN Beyond, Sony to launch on HK pay-TV on 1 April
MUMBAI: AXN Beyond and Sony Entertainment Television (Set) from the Sony Pictures Entertainment Networks Asia (Spena) stable will expand their reach in Hong Kong as both join AXN and Animax in a four-channel launch on the basic tier of Hong Kong pay-TV platform, TVB Pay Vision, on 1 . The new carriage deal with TVB Pay Vision brings Spena‘s quartet of channels to a total of four pay-TV operators in Hong Kong. The others channels are PCCW‘s nowTV which also has all four linear channels, as well as cable TV and Hong Kong Broadband Network‘s bbTV, both of which have AXN and Animax. |
AXN Beyond offers supernatural, fantasy, mystery and horror programmes, while Set serves up towards female-skewed entertainment. Spena senior VP, GM Ricky Ow says, “The Spena portfolio offers four very different entertainment destinations. With the carriage of all four channels on TVB Pay Vision, Hong Kong viewers will be able to benefit not only in terms of a wider variety of content available, but also from the attractive packages offered. |
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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.
