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Challenging times for Netflix as it hives off DVD biz as Qwikster
MUMBAI: Netflix, the new challenger to old entertainment houses, is suddenly finding its business under attack from dropping subscribers, opposition from Hollywood content suppliers and a wobbly stock price movement.
The video rental company has hived off its DVD service to a separate website called Qwikster, while instant streaming of television shows and movies will continue with Netflix.
Netflix chief executive officer Reed Hastings said in a blog post that Netflix was changing the name of its DVD-by-mail business to Qwikster. This brand will also offer video games.
The move is significant as Hastings had earlier stated that the future lies in streaming. Some analysts conclude that Hastings could be preparing to sell the DVD unit while sticking to the higher-margin streaming business.
Netfllix, however, has seen a dramatic slowdown in subscribers after it increased its price to as high as 60 per cent, or $6 a month, for streaming and DVD rental service in combine. Customers are looking at cheaper options such as Coinstar Inc‘s Redbox kiosk.
Netflix has also been hurt by its failure to rope in movie-content provider Starz. The price hike has led customers to feel that they are being asked to pay for more at a time when the content is shrinking. Liberty Media‘s Starz has rights to popular titles like “Tangled” and “The Karate Kid” from Disney and Sony; the collapse of talks means it won‘t let Netflix stream those films when it expires in February.
Netflix will have access to a lone major studio, Paramount Pictures, for recent releases.
Competition in web video is rising from Amazon.com, Google Inc and Apple Inc. Blockbuster, now owned by Dish Network, is also readying to unveil plans for a streaming service on Friday.
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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.
