Applications
OTT gains at the expense of cable VOD in US
MUMBAI: Over-the-top (OTT) video service providers like Netflix are filling a need gap in the US as pay-TV operators have failed to capitalise on the potential of video-on-demand (VoD) services.
As a result of pay-TV operators‘ lack of attention to ad-supported VOD, total VOD use is small, representing only 1 per cent of all U.S. TV viewing. The failure to accomplish this is a reflection of VOD‘s inadequate advertising support and awkward programme guides that limit availability and viewing of ad-supported VOD content, according to US research firm The Diffusion Group (TDG)..
Titled ‘Making Ad-Supported VOD Work’, the report states that the VOD services provided by pay-TV operators should be generating significantly higher viewing and advertising revenue with a little more push from the operators.
“Operators have failed to take advantage of VOD to build subscriber satisfaction, generate ad revenues, and head off competition from over-the-top (OTT) providers like Netflix”, according to Bill Niemeyer, TDG senior analyst and author of the new report.
Niemeyer estimates in Q4 2011, Netflix US subscribers watched 80 per cent more streaming video hours than were viewed in the same period on all US pay-TV VOD.
“Ad-supported VOD is a significant missed opportunity for pay-TV operators,” noted Niemeyer.”They are investing significant resources in TV Everywhere (TVE) but have ignored the fact they have a potentially viable ad- and revenue-generating on-demand platform already in place in over 50 million US homes in the form of VOD.”
TDG‘s new report describes how operators could increase VOD viewing and ad revenue by a factor of three or more by deploying dynamic ad insertion, better measurement technologies, and improved programme guides. If operators do not act, they risk falling even farther behind online and OTT video services.
Making ad-supported VOD work includes the results of conversations with key executives in the TV network and ad agency community. It identifies eight specific areas where operator action will improve the VOD platform. The report offers in depth quantitative estimates of how VOD use and advertising revenues would grow if the operators act to enhance VOD for ad-supported content.
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.
