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Ethnic Channels Group to distribute Zee Cinema in Canada
MUMBAI: Zee Americas, the American subsidiary of Zeel, has entered into a long-term distribution agreement with Ethnic Channels Group for Zee Cinema in Canada.
The deal provides Ethnic Channels Group the rights to distribute the service on Cable and Satellite platforms.
Zee Cinema CEO Suresh Bala said, “This is exciting for us in that for the first time ever we are able to focus our marketing and unlock the strength of the Zee Cinema brand in Canada. Ethnic Channels Group is an expert at marketing to ethnic audiences and expects to grow our distribution and our subscription base significantly. Currently Zee Cinema is only available as a linear service, but we expect to work out the details of mobile distribution in the not so distant future.”
Zee Cinema boasts of a library featuring over 5000 hours of movies including movies such as Agneepath, Agent Vinod, Don 2, Desi Boyz and Barfee along with all time hits such as Taare Zameen Par, Rock On, Jab We Met and classics such as Awara, Sholay, Bobby and Padosan.
“We are delighted to partner with the Zee TV Group for the launch of Zee Cinema in Canada. Bollywood today is a global, phenomenon and Zee Cinema is its biggest custodian,” said Ethnic Channels Group co-founder and CEO Slava Levin.
Added Ethnic Channels Group President Hari Srinivas, “Ethnic Channels Group believes in the brand equity of its content partners, and it will be our primary objective to increase this for Zee Cinema in Canada.
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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.
