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British Telecom inks VoD deal with Momentum Pictures
MUMBAI: British Telecom has inked a new video-on-demand (VoD) film agreement with independent film distributor, Momentum Pictures, for its next-generation TV service – BT Vision, which is scheduled to launch in August to September 2006.
Momentum Pictures is one of the UK’s largest independent film distributors. This agreement will provide access to Momentum Pictures’ catalogue including titles such as – Lost in Translation, Racing Stripes, Where the Truth Lies, O, Brother Where Art Thou?, Vera Drake, Lord of War and Broken Flowers, amongst others.
BT Vision customers will be able to enjoy a vast range of film, music and television programming all available on-demand as well as all the Freeview channels, plus interactive and communications and all available on the TV, with no compulsory subscription.
BT Vision CEO Dan Marks said, “We are delighted to have concluded this agreement with Momentum Pictures, which has been responsible for distributing some of the most successful and most interesting independent cinema of the past few years. Our agreement with Momentum represents our commitment to bring the best and most varied selection of movies to our customers.”
Momentum managing director Xavier Marchand added, “We are very pleased that BT’s broadband customers will have access to many of Momentum Pictures’ titles. BT Vision and interactive access to movies are extremely exciting concepts and we eagerly anticipate the launch of the service.”
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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.
