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Warner Bros, ViDeOnline in VoD deal for Hong Kong
MUMBAI: ViDeOnline Communications (VDO) has signed a multi-year video-on-demand (VoD) and subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) agreement with Warner Bros. International Television Distribution (WBITD) for the Hong Kong rights to films. all current feature-length motion pictures and hundreds of library feature films distributed by WBITD. |
The agreement, negotiated on behalf of WBITD by Ted Lai, VP of its international television division, will allow ViDeOnline to offer legal downloads of premium content from Warner Bros. through its “08Media portal, which launched in March in Hong Kong. The service will initially feature more than 100 motion pictures distributed by WBITD, including a mix of recent theatrical releases and favorites from the Studio’s vast entertainment library. Featured titles to be initially offered will include recent releases such as Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, V For Vendetta, Superman Returns, The Ant Bully, Lady in the Water and Happy Feet as well as popular titles such as The Polar Express, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Batman Begins, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Firewall. All video content can be streamed or downloaded and played on compatible home computers. |
WBITD president R. Schlesinger says, ” Making our movie content available to ViDeOnline’s Hong Kong consumers is an important step in our global digital distribution strategy. This deal fits perfectly with our philosophy of providing consumers around the world with access to our world-class entertainment.” The expansive rollout of high-speed broadband and wireless services in Asia has created a customer base with an increased demand for new, quality content. ViDeOnline acts as the partner in providing an optimal platform for aggregating content with the necessary technology to download and track DRM-protected feature films and TV shows to broadband carriers throughout Asia. |
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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.
