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Dish Network’s decision to drop AMC channels leads to bad blood
MUMBAI: Leading direct broadcast satellite service provider Dish Network has said it will drop AMC Network channels due to the high cost of carrying the channels coupled with decline in viewership.
Dish said it will drop the four AMC channels including We TV and Sundance Channel once the contract ends in June since the low viewership of AMC channels do not justify the rate increase that it is seeking.
Furthermore, Dish is also unhappy about the fact that shows such as Mad Men and Breaking Bad are made available on other platforms such as Netflix and iTunes soon after the shows have aired on AMC.
However, AMC believes Dish Network‘s decision has more to it than meets the eye.
Dish recently lost a $2.5 billion breach of contract case against it relating to the now defunct Voom HD cable channels that was owned by AMC. This, AMC says, is the prime motive behind dropping the channels.
“It is unfortunate that, because of setbacks in an unrelated litigation, Dish even suggests that they might deny their customers access to some of their favourite networks and shows that are offered by every other major satellite and cable TV provider,” AMC said.
Dish responded by saying that AMC was distorting facts by incorrectly attempting to tie together two separate issues.
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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.
