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Disney strikes carriage deal with Time Warner Cable
MUMBAI: After multiple rounds of negotiations, Walt Disney and Time Warner Cable have struck a deal that will keep channels such as ABC and ESPN on the air.
The agreement to work together on web distribution is a first for Disney that has so far avoided services that ask cable subscribers to provide identification or authentication.
The two entities have been negotiating the fees that Time Warner Cable pays to carry Disney‘s programming outlets. Though the terms weren’t disclosed, the deal was struck with a broad commitment by Disney to provide a range of new ESPN content like Disney movies and ABC programming along with online access in return for bigger fees.
Viewers will also be able to watch ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU on broadband or mobile devices such as the iPad.
For sports fans, the deal provides a bonanza. ESPN3.com, an online-only sports network, will be provided to Time Warner Cable subscribers who pay to get ESPN.
The two parties did not disclose when the content would be available.
Though their previous contract expired at midnight yesterday, they reached the new deal without any programming disruptions.
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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.
