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Discovery in licensing deal with AOL On Network
MUMBAI: AOL has announced a strategic partnership with non fiction media company Discovery. The partnership brings short-form videos from Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, Science Channel, Military Channel to The AOL On Network’s library of more than 470,000 premium videos.
Content from Discovery’s networks will be programmed into The AOL On Network’s 14 channels and shared across the AOL On video hub, AOL’s owned and operated properties and publisher partners, bolstering the company’s science, technology, lifestyle and history offerings. Now fans on these sites will be able to enjoy excerpts from their favourite shows and series, like Discovery Channel’s ‘MythBusters’ and annual ‘Shark Week’ to TLC’s ‘Say Yes to the Dress’ and Animal Planet’s ‘River Monsters’ as well as other titles from Discovery’s programming library. Additionally, The AOL On Network and Discovery will offer content from Discovery and Revision3’s recently launched online video series, DNews.
Discovery senior VP, digital distribution, partnerships Rebecca Glashow said, "Discovery Communications always has been committed to engaging audiences on all consumer distribution platforms, which are supported by a strong business model. This partnership with The AOL Network not only introduces new audiences to our award-winning programming, but allows loyal fans access to clips from all of their favorite shows. It is a terrific complement to our current array of multi-channel video services."
The AOL On Network senior VP Ran Harnevo said, "We’ve long been advocates of the idea that content providers need to distribute their offerings to multiple platforms in order to maximise exposure and ROI. Over the last few months, we’ve seen this vision rewarded through market traction and recognition, although there’s no better validation than when an industry leader like Discovery turns to us to help distribute their video content around the web."
Launched in April 2012, The AOL On Network brings AOL’s entire video offering under one umbrella and reaches more than 68 million unique visitors per month. It is one of the top 10 video platforms on the web according to comScore and is number one in content-only categories including TV, Lifestyle, Home, Beauty/Fashion/Style, Food, Education, Travel Information, Autos, Health, Maps, and Technology. The network claims to attract nearly 700 million video streams per month.
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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.
