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ETV launches IPTV pilot test in Thailand
MUMBAI: ETV, a global Internet distribution network offering sports and entertainment content over the Internet, has commenced a pilot test of its IPTV service in Thailand
Through its partnership with Media Partners International, ETV will be deploying the ETV On Demand test system to an initial test market of 1000, growing to 10,000 test users throughout Thailand. The test period will last for up to 90 days, and will aggregate both technical information and customer feedback on the delivery system, the content and ease of use of the system.
It is expected that the ETV On Demand full service launch will begin by the end of the third quarter in Bangkok. At this point, MPI will market the system throughout Thailand, a country with a growing population of more than 65 million. MPI has projected users to grow by 50,000-100,000 monthly once it rolls out the ETV On Demand system.
The full ETV On Demand system launch is expected to take place later this year, and through early 2007. Potential viewership in these markets approximates 600 million.
ETV‘s proven broadband delivery technology affords consumers their choice of entertainment and sports programming 24 hours a day over the Internet, with full-screen broadcast resolution on a guaranteed bandwidth backbone. The company‘s complete end-to-end solution encompasses the latest Internet television technology, exclusive sports and entertainment content and worldwide broadband distribution.
MPI is a vertically integrated media company operating in the filmed and recorded entertainment and sports events production, licensing, and distribution industries. MPI‘s chairman Sitichai Nuanmanee said, “The Pilot Test with ETV positions our two companies to dominate the broadband viewership market throughout Southeast Asia and India.”
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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.
