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Media Gateway acquires VOD distribution rights of A&E TV Networks across Middle East & North Africa
MUMBAI: Media Gateway, the international content clearing house for premium content has signed an agreement with AETN International, a division of A&E Television Networks, to distribute the company‘s award-winning video on demand (VOD) programming from The History Channel, The Biography Channel and Crime and Investigation Network throughout the Middle East and North Africa. |
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Media Gateway will now be able to bring AETN International‘s on-demand content to mobile operators, ISPs, telecommunications companies, cable operators, residential complexes, compounds, military bases and hotels across the region, informs an official release. “We are thrilled to be partnering with AETN International, whose channels have received multiple prestigious awards and reach more than 220 million TV households worldwide. This agreement further illustrates our commitment to provide the very best content to operators in the region so they can deliver services that drive greater enjoyment and usage among their subscribers,” said Media Gateway Chief Executive Officer Karri Zaremba. |
“Emerging media platforms – be it VOD, mobile, or broadband – are an important components in our international distribution strategy. Media Gateway is a leader in the delivery of broadcast media over digital platforms, and we are confident that with their expertise, people in the Middle East and North Africa will now have multiple access paths to our channels and programs,” said AETN International Vice President International Business Development and Digital Media Sean Cohan. The History Channel, the international television network devoted to historical programming, features compelling original, non-fiction specials and series that bring history to life in a powerful and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. The Biography Channel takes viewers into the world of fascinating people, from Hollywood stars to world leaders, artists, athletes and infamous villains. The network features programs that delve behind the scenes of the public lives of celebrities, revealing their private lives and exploring the ambition that drives them. While the Crime and Investigation Network focuses on crime, investigation and mystery programming. The channel opens the door to crime labs, police archives and the justice system, providing viewers a behind-the-scenes look at criminal investigations, unexplained mysteries and the lives of infamous murderers and outlaws, adds the release. |
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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.
