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RBNL’s Big Magic International taps the US market
MUMBAI: Reliance Broadcast Network‘s (RBNL) hybrid channel, specifically created for the international market, is ready to tap the big American market where several Indian broadcasters have already made their entry.
After testing the global waters in Canada this June, Big Magic International has launched in the United States hoping to find appeal from its mix of entertainment, infotainment and business Indian fare.
RBNL has signed with Dish Network and will be available both on DTH and IPTV. For Dish Network‘s direct-to-home (DTH) subscribers, it will be part of the Hindi Mega Pack. It has also worked out a deal to reach out to Dish Network‘s IPTV offerings.
“We will be available on Dish‘s base pack for South Asian audiences. We have a revenue share arrangement with them. They are also working out IPTV offerings,” said a RBNL spokesperson.
Big Magic International will also be available as an a la carte channel by optimising Reliance Group synergies with Big Flix Video on Demand – which has a library of more than 2000 movies, including a regional movie catalogue, catering to the South Asian language groups, offering a combo service.
“The combo pack on Big Flix is priced at $5,” the spokesperson added.
Big Magic International takes content from Reliance ADAG‘s television channel, its international properties and business news channel Bloomberg TV for the Indian market.
RBNL is looking at getting both subscription and advertisement sales in the US market. Big Magic International has appointed Mediamorphosis LLC as its “exclusive” advertising agency in the US.
RBNL CEO Tarun Katial said, “Backed by the success that Big Magic International has seen in Canada, we are excited to be entering the key market of United States. We have strategically activated all levers ranging the product content, distribution partners and ad sales agency, after mapping the market to understand what it can deliver for us. We are confident of the channel resonating well with audiences, while offering an effective platform to marketers. We are progressing as planned, with our international expansion and growth strategy and look forward to continuing to deliver value to all our stakeholders.”
The programming on Big Magic International will be a mix of daily sitcoms, socio-mytho programs, crime shows, dramas, and religious shows hand-picked from Big Magic India. It will also showcase televised award shows created by the RBNL‘s intellectual property vertical.
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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.
