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DTT households to double by 2018 according to Digital TV Research
MUMBAI: The number of homes receiving DTT signals is forecast to more than double in the next five years, reaching 553 million, according to Digital TV Research.
According to the Digital Terrestrial TV Forecasts report, the number of primary DTT homes – those not subscribing to cable, IPTV or satellite TV and using DTT on their main set – will also double between 2013 and 2018, reaching 280 million.
This would mean that 173 million homes – which is 31 per cent of the DTT total – will only watch DTT signals on secondary sets by 2018. This is up from the 64 million at the end of 2012.
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By 2018, more than one-third of the world‘s TV households will receive DTT signals; this figure was only 15 per cent at the end of 2012. Of this total, nearly one-quarter will be primary DTT homes by 2018, up from the one-tenth in 2012.
Western Europe accounted for more than 40 per cent of the global total at the end of last year. The region, however, is poised to lose market share, contributing 19 per cent of the total by 2018. This is despite its total DTT household figure increasing by 20 per cent, to 105 million. Western Europe will be primarily losing its market share to the Asia Pacific, which is set to increase from 28 per cent of the global total in 2012 to 43 per cent by 2018.
Even though the US has low DTT penetration, it still claimed the top spot in 2012 as the largest country by DTT households. These rankings are set to shift quite a bit over the next five years, though. China is expected to add 132 million DTT homes by 2018, becoming the largest DTT country by a wide margin. Brazil will add 30 million, taking second place, with number three Russia adding 19 million. India will have 15 million DTT homes by 2018, and it had none at end-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.
