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SPTI in VoD deal with Korea’s Daum Communications
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) and Daum Communications (Daum) have signed the first ever free video-on-demand (VoD) licensing deal with a Hollywood studio in Korea. Under the deal, SPTI will license a selection of titles from its extensive library to South Korean internet portal Daum annually to stream via its portal, www.daum.net. South Korean consumers will be able to watch these movies on-demand for free as the movies will be ad-supported. The service will also be geo-filtered to ensure that the movies are only viewable to consumers in South Korea. |
SPTI is the first Hollywood studio to sign a free VoD deal in Korea and the first to partner with Daum. The closing of this deal introduces a new business model for video-on-demand providers across Asia. SPTI senior VP, distribution, Asia Ross Pollack said, “SPTI is very proud to be the first to collaborate with Daum to introduce the free video-on-demand model to Asia. We feel such a model represents a win/win proposition not just for the content licensee and licensor, but, more importantly, for advertisers and consumers as well. Consumers will be able to access free, quality content and advertisers will be able to reach their target audience. “SPTI prides itself on being at the forefront of digital distribution and this is an example of how aggressively we are pursuing new forms of digital distribution here in Asia,” Mr. Pollack continued. |
SPTI’s executive director, licensing, Asia Soojin Chung said, “Korea has one of the highest broadband penetration rates in the world and is the ideal market to introduce this free video-on-demand service. Moreover, Daum is the ideal partner for this deal as they are one of the top internet portals in Korea and are already offering streaming content through their portal.” |
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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.
