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Amaru inks deal with Sony Pics TV International for VOD rights in Singapore
MUMBAI: The US-headquartered Amaru Inc., a global player in broadband media entertainment business, has secured a multi-year deal with Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) for video-on-demand rights on film titles from both Sony Pictures Entertainment and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for M2B viewers. The agreement has been done through Amaru‘s Hollywood-based company M2B World Inc. |
The distribution deal, initiated at the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) conference held in Las Vegas in January 2006, allows for first-run films to be available, on-demand, to subscribers of Amaru‘s Global Broadband TV service (M2BTV), accessible through the company‘s soon to be launched Set-Top Box, informs an official release. In addition, a selection of films will be available via pay-per-view on Dimension88 — a Singaporean premium movie channel offered at www.Dimension88.com that can be accessed via a broadband Internet connection. This deal will give M2B viewers access to SPTI product in the window after local video release. |
The deal reflects the rapidly developing interest by consumers worldwide in the at-home on-demand entertainment market. An independent study commissioned last month by the M2B brand on consumer attitudes towards broadband entertainment found that 72 per cent of domestic respondents alone were interested in accessing first-run Hollywood films online. Through distinctive content and distribution agreements over the last few years, including this agreement with SPTI, the M2B brand has been a visionary leader at the forefront of the transforming entertainment market, the release adds. “This agreement is a result of the unique synergy that traditional Hollywood entertainment companies are looking towards. It is essentially the melding of the highly recognizable content that viewers are looking for with easily accessible distribution vehicles, such as our broadband channels, that offer consumers the highest quality feeds in a way that fits within their limited schedules,” says Amaru Inc. CEO Colin Binny. “Our philosophy has always been to offer wide-ranging content as our viewing demographic continues to broaden — and partnering with Sony Pictures Television International is reflective of that intention. We look forward to working with SPTI, and expect that the addition of these titles will be extremely well-received by our viewers.” “Viewers worldwide have been receptive to VOD and we‘re pleased to make our extensive library available to M2B viewers”, adds SPTI‘s vice president pay television Paul Littmann. |
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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.
