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ESPN signs on Incablenet for Star Cricket, deals with other big MSOs in the offing
NEW DELHI: In what can have a significant impact on the industry, ESPN Star Sports has signed a major deal with multi-system operator (MSO) Incablenet for the distribution of its new sibling Star Cricket. In an exclusive interaction, ESS vice president (distribution) Rajesh Kaul told Indiantelevision that the deal has been signed with Incablenet, and hectic negotiations to bring on board other national MSOs like Hathway and others are on. With the signing of the Incablenet deal, the city of Mumbai is now covered to the tune of 75 per cent already, he told Indiantelevision.com. For the rest of the operators who have not come on board, we are constantly in touch and we are hopeful of concluding deals with them over the next two or three days, Kaul revealed. “By the time the first ball is bowled in the first test between India and England, we expect the entire country to be able to watch the high quality action from our cricketers,” he added. When asked about other MSOs who are still to conclude any deal, Rajesh said, “We have always stressed upon the fact that we do business based on our good relationship with cable partners and MSOs across the country.” ESPN Star Sports has already announced a target of 100 per cent increase in affiliate sales this year, banking on massive inventory of cricket in the next 15 months spread across the three channels. The content includes India‘s tour of England (3 tests and 7 ODIs) (July – September 07), The Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa (September 07) and India‘s tour of Australia involving 4 tests and a tri series with Australia, Sri Lanka and India involving 15 ODIs (December 07 -March 08). The Asia Cup and the ICC Champions trophy to be played in Pakistan next year will also be broadcast on ESPN, Star Sports and Star Cricket.
Kaul, who refused to divulge the details of the deal, however, stated: “Incablenet will be distributing Star Sports at Rs 28 per subscriber per month, and within a fortnight of launching the new channel we have reached more than 70 per cent of the reach of ESPN and Star Sports in the country.”
Star Cricket can be seen now across all major cities including metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore and major as well as smaller district towns of Haryana region (Chandigarh, Gurgaon, Ambala, Sonepat, Rewari, Hissar), UP (Haridwar, Meerut, Lucknow, Aligarh, Kanpur), Gujarat (Ahmedabad, Baroda, Surat, Rajkot, Kutch), Kerala (Calicut, Cochin, Trivandrum, Trissur, Kottayam), Karnataka (Bangalore, Gulbarga, Bijapur, Bidar), Tamil Nadu( Kumbakonam, Ramnad, Nagapattinam, Krishnagiri) West Bengal (24 Parganas, Durgapur, Jamshedpur), Assam (Guwahati, Shillong), Andhra Pradesh (Vizag, Rajahmundry, Warangal, Tirupati, Anantpur), Maharashtra (Pune, Sholapur, Nasik, Thane), Goa and Pondicherry, Kaul said.
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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.
