Applications
Star Plus now available on Verizon FiOS TV
MUMBAI: Star, a wholly-owned subsidiary of News Corporation, has partnered with Verizon Communications to launch its flagship Hindi entertainment channel Star Plus on Verizon FiOS TV.
Verizon Communications, headquartered in New York, specialises in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.
Thus with this partnership, Star Plus joins FiOS TV’s extensive channel lineup, which includes nearly 40 other international channels covering over 20 languages. The channel began launching on FiOS TV this week and will be in all markets by 27 September.
Said Verizon VP – content strategy and acquisition Terry Denson, “The addition of Star Plus to the FiOS TV channel lineup further enhances our overall multicultural offering with new content that includes favorite dramas, game shows and more. Bringing new content and sponsorship support to South Asian communities has been a priority for Verizon, and we look forward to more opportunities in the future.”
Added Star SVP distribution, sales and marketing and head of Star North American office David Wisnia, “We are absolutely thrilled to be making Star Plus available to FiOS TV subscribers. Viewers will be entertained like never before with our exciting array of dramas, reality shows and bollywood blockbusters. We look forward to growing our relationship with Verizon FiOS and to sharing more of Star’s top-rated networks in the near future.”
Star Plus is part of FiOS TV’s South Asian (Hindi) package – which already includes Zee TV, TV Asia and SET Asia – for $34.99 per month. Verizon also offers another South Asian channel in Punjab called Jus Punjabi for $9.99 per month.
The new channel joins Verizon FiOS TV’s broad collection of programming that includes more than 520 all-digital channels with up to 140 HD channels and 18,000 monthly video-on-demand titles. FiOS also provides next-generation interactive services including an advanced interactive media guide; social networking, news and entertainment widgets; remote DVR management via broadband or cell phone.
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.
