Applications
Netflix, NBC Universal in deal for TV shows
MUMBAI: Internet subscription service Netflix and US media company NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution have announced an expanded license agreement through which Netflix members can instantly watch a selection of broadcast series from the NBC television network and – for the first time on Netflix – content from some of NBC Universal‘s popular cable channels.
The multi-year deal continues the relationship between Netflix and NBC Universal.
The agreement adds to the growing selection of movies and TV episodes that can be streamed instantly from Netflix with memberships starting at $8.99 a month. Among the highlights, Netflix members will be able to instantly watch:
* Episodes from every season of NBC‘s signature comedy franchise Saturday Night Live, including day-after broadcast of the upcoming 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons plus hundreds of episodes from the first 35 years of SNL.
* Every episode from the last season of the 30 Rock, The Office and Law And Order: SVU, as well as earlier seasons of those shows renewed for streaming from Netflix under the current deal.
* All prior seasons – and eventually next year‘s final season – of Friday Night Lights, the small-town drama surrounding high-school football in Dillon, Texas.
* All prior seasons of Psych, the comedy featuring James Roday as a fake psychic who solves crimes with his best friend, Dule Hill; the drama In Plain Sight, starring Mary McCormack as a U.S. Marshal in New Mexico; as well as all seasons of Monk. Prior seasons of all three shows are available to watch instantly at Netflix for the first time.
* More than 75 prior season episodes of Battlestar Galactica, as well as prior seasons of Destination Truth and Eureka – all streaming from Netflix for the first time.
NBC Universal Domestic TV Distribution executive VP and general sales manager of cable and non-theatrical sales Frances Manfredi says, “We are very pleased to continue our successful relationship with Netflix. We applaud Netflix for recognizing the value of content like SNL, Friday Night Lights, Monk and Battlestar Galactica to their subscribers.”
Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos says, “This agreement adds meaningfully to the wide variety of content that can be streamed from Netflix and breaks new ground in our relationship with NBC Universal”.
Applications
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.
