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Broadcasting, cable TV market to reach 314 bn by 2015
MUMBAI: The global broadcasting and cable TV market is expected to touch $314 bn by 2015, according to Global Industry Analysts (GIA).
Increase in television broadcasting including pay-TV, digital broadcasting, portable-TV broadcasting and satellite-TV broadcasting have been instrumental in propelling rapid growth in the global broadcasting industry.
The sector has taken strides over the last few years, backed by increasing inflow of ad revenues and unprecedented growth and acceptance of the pay-TV market.
The broadcasting sector has been making continuous technological advancements through efficient deployment of the pioneering technologies. New models of entertainment are changing the dynamics of traditional broadcasting and consumers are increasingly moving towards enjoying content on their own devices, according their own schedules and at the time of their choice, not heeding to the dictates of traditional linear broadcast channels.
In tandem with the trend, commercial broadcasters worldwide are showing increased enthusiasm towards embracing the numerous online opportunities and investing generously in developing content compatible for all platforms. Cable and satellite continue to be strong competitors for traditional linear broadcast channels.
Transformation to digital business models is still minimal within traditional broadcasting while compared to a more flexible switchover in the satellite and cable broadcasting.
Increasing digitisation of content is a major challenge confronting the traditional broadcasting services industry.
Digital content for entertainment is all set for a major evolution and growth over the next five years and key factors pushing growth are the increasing need for mobility as well as rapid technological advances.
Digital entertainment is forcing broadcasters and other media companies to rethink on their age-old business models. A shift to digital business models is still minimal within traditional broadcasting compared to a more flexible transformation happening in the satellite and cable broadcasting. Traditional broadcasters are finding it hard to compete with the better digital quality and greater variety of channels offered by satellite and cable.
Free-to-Air (FTA) TV would continue to rule the roost for the next few years but the advancements in the technology would dent its undisputed leadership in the long run. The other entertainment modes such as PCs, game computers, DVDs, and even mobile phones are all at the gaining end of the technological development spectrum with even mobile phones providing all the features of a TV in a conduced form.
In an era where customer relationship is of core importance, FTA lags in developing effective customer relations with the computer-backed industry, which is well set to snatch the pace from TV. Internet-TV has begun to show its glitter in the developed economies and the day is not far when this medium penetrates into developing economies as well, luring the advertisers to change loyalties from FTA to Internet TV creating troubles for the broadcasting sector as a whole.
The research report, titled ‘Broadcasting: A Global Outlook‘, provides a collection of statistical anecdotes, market briefs, and concise summaries of research findings. The report offers a bird‘s eye view of the global broadcasting market and identifies major trends, issues, challenges and growth drivers.
Regional markets briefly abstracted and covered include India, US, Canada, France, Germany and Africa.
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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.
