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Oxygen, TV Guide join News Corp, NBC Universal‘s online video platform
MUMBAI: US media conglomerates News Corp and NBC Universal have announced the addition of Fuel TV, Oxygen, Speed, Sundance Channel and TV Guide as content patrners to their upcoming online video joint venture. |
NBC Universal chief digital officer George Kliavkoff says, “Each of our new content partners has a reputation for creating premium entertainment experiences designed to fulfill television viewers’ more eclectic needs. We are delighted they have all agreed to contribute their compelling content to our venture, which will help ensure our ability to satisfy the more personalised demands of the growing number of Web video consumers.” Under the terms of its agreements with Fuel TV and Speed, the new venture will distribute both partners’ short-form content across its distribution network and will host their programming on its destination site. The venture’s distribution network currently includes some of the most-popular sites on the Web, including AOL, MSN, MySpace, Yahoo, Comcast and CNet. |
Woemn‘s network Oxygen will contribute short-form content from its array of unconventional and original programming, initially including The Bad Girls Club, Fight Girls, 50 Funniest Women and Our Bodies, Myself. Oxygen president of distribution Mary Murano says, “Oxygen is committed to making our content available on every platform that our audience is, and this is an excellent opportunity to do just that. Broadband is fast becoming the future of content distribution and it is important for Oxygen to be at the forefront. We are looking forward to a great partnership with some of the industry’s leading companies.” The new venture will also distribute Sundance Channel programming, including full-length original series, exclusive webisodes, short films, original short-form content shot exclusively for the Web and clips from feature films and documentaries. Included in the offerings are selections from Sundance Channel’s new weekly environmental block, The Green, featuring all 13 episodes from the original series Big Ideas for a Small Planet as well as short form series Ecoists and Eco Biz along with original webisodes exploring each week’s eco theme hosted by Simran Sethi. All six episodes of Sundance Channel’s series One Punk Under God, looking at alternative Christian minister Jay Bakker, will also be offered. Sundance Channel’s president and CEO Larry Aidem noted, “Sundance Channel’s participation in this venture underscores our strategy and efforts to expand the reach of Sundance Channel content beyond the linear network to a thriving audience seeking our content across multiple platforms.” In addition to distributing content from TV Guide Broadband, an advertising-supported video service offering programming about the world of television and entertainment, across all its distribution partner sites, the venture’s destination site will offer fresh and entertaining short-form video content from TV Guide Broadband, including: TV Guide’s recommendations for the best shows, movies and music on television; interviews with top celebrities; behind-the-scenes from the hottest TV shows; and highlights from TV Guide Network’s original programming. |
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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.
