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Natpe expecting a vibrant content market
MUMBAI: Media marketplace organiser Natpe has announced that more than 250 companies from 50 countries are confirmed to attend the inaugural Natpe Budapest content market, formerly known as Discop East, which takes place from 26 – 28 June 2012.
Close to 250 buyers representing 150 companies are already signed to attend the three day market at Budapest’s Sofitel Chain Bridge Hotel and organisers at NATPE expect this to increase to more than 300 registered buyers by the event opening.
Natpe Budapest will also welcome more than 100 sellers representing major Hollywood studios including Warner Bros., NBCUniversal, CBS Studios International, Lionsgate and MGM Worldwide Television Group alongside key international distributors such as A&E Networks, Alfred Haber Distribution, Artear, CableReady, Caracol Television, Dori Media Distribution, Endemol Group, FremantleMedia, Globo TV, ITV Studios, Televisa and Venevision.
Natpe will host evening events for all participants on both Tuesday and Wednesday nights during the market as well as offering myBudapest, a robust, online database allowing buyers and sellers to connect, set appointments and share information before, during and after the market. An onsite business concierge will also be available at the Sofitel Hotel to support these online tools.
Natpe president, CEO Rick Feldman said, “We are delighted to announce this latest update on activity and attendance at the upcoming first edition of Natpe Budapest – which promises three intensive days of meetings and deal making. This is a fantastic opportunity for Natpe to build on the established success of Discop East. Historically, more than 65 per cent of the TV content buyers attending the event never or seldom attended other major international markets, so we are looking forward to showcasing our proven successful market formula to a host of new attendees and organisations as part of our increased global focus.”
Following its acquisition last year, Natpe Budapest runs as a companion to NATPE’s highly successful Miami-based international content market, which takes place in January. Natpe is working with locally-based representatives throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East to raise the profile of both events in the global marketplace and together the events are expected to connect more than 6,500 television professionals from throughout the world.
Natpe continues to partner with Discop organisers Basic Lead on regional events Discop Africa and Discop Istanbul. Basic Lead GM Patrick Jucaud continues to oversee operational activities in these events and is working with Natpe as the Budapest based market transfers for 2012.
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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.
