Applications
Online availability of TV shows drives growth in the US: Study
MUMBAI: As TV networks struggle to find the right balance between digital and traditional access to their content, new research from Knowledge Networks, a GfK company, shows that online access wins favour with US consumers in ways often overlooked by standard metrics.
The study, ‘TV‘s Web Connections 2012‘, is conducted annually to track the interplay between on-set and online interaction with TV network content.
Topics covered include the use of TV-related (network and program) websites, differences between “streamers” and “downloaders” of TV network content, favourability toward advertisers and sponsors of online TV content, and interaction with that content via social media and smartphone apps.
Knowledge Networks senior VP client service David Tice said, “The gains from making TV content available online are significant and growing, but they may pass under the radar of traditional metrics.
Few advertisers would pass up the chance to be seen more favorably by consumers; yet that benefit may be missed if we are focused solely on metrics such as audience size.
To truly understand the ROI of online content, we need subtle, more expansive measures that reach across digital platforms.”
Results from the latest wave of the study – conducted in November 2011 among 1,505 Internet users on KnowledgePanel – indicate that, among streamers and downloaders of TV network video:
- 42 per cent say that the availability of this video makes them think more highly of a TV network – up from 30 per cent in 2008.
- 22 per cent report they would never have watched some shows if they were not accessible online, compared to 10 per cent in 2008.
- 20 per cent say that they spent more time watching a network‘s content after it became available online, up from nine per cent in 2008.
The new study also shows that, among streamers, TV network sites are the preferred source of network content, cited by 57 per cent of those who watch streaming network video.
This compares to 37 per cent who cited non-network sites (such as Hulu) as their preferred source.
Downloaders are more likely than streamers (30 per cent versus 20 per cent) to say that they spend more time watching TV network content after it becomes available online.
The availability of online TV network video – full episodes or clips – is the best website feature for increasing programme involvement and sponsor consideration of frequent supermarket and drug store shoppers, the study said.
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.
