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New study charts evolution of footage industry in the US
MUMBAI: The Association of Commercial Stock Image Licensors (ACSIL) and Thriving Archives in the US have announced the release of the ACSIL Global Survey of Stock Footage Companies 2 (AGS2). TheAGS2 is an examination of current business conditions within today’s footage industry, providing strategic, action-oriented information and insights to footage industry leaders. The demand for and supply of HD footage are on the rise.
Thriving Archives founder, president David Seevers said, “Assessing the overall health and well being of the footage industry was our top research priority. Based on the performance of the 73 companies in our sample group, the footage industry appears to be in stable condition. Total industry revenue has increased since 2007 and is now estimated at $394 million per year.”
The AGS2 also looks at the impact of digital technology on how footage companies manage, present and deliver footage to the customer; explores how changes in film & video production have affected customer type, demand and need; examines how footage companies market, promote and reach out to customers; and reviews the impact of various trends on the footage industry as a whole.
ACSIL president, HBO Archives director Max Segal said, “ACSIL and Thriving Archives worked together in 2007 to produce the original ACSIL Global Survey of Stock Footage Companies 2007, the first publicly available study of the stock footage industry. Since its publication, the AGS 2007 has been widely used and highly valued by business leaders both inside and outside the footage industry. We’re thrilled to now have not only an update of this groundbreaking market research, but a study that takes our understanding of the footage business to the next level.”
A great deal has changed within the stock footage industry since 2007. For example, the standard transaction paradigm is evolving from a rights-managed model to a rights-managed/royalty-free hybrid and both the demand for and supply of HD footage are on the rise. Digital technology continues to drive shifts in the management, presentation and delivery of footage to the end user. Broadcast-quality digital holdings are increasing and more companies are seeing the light at the end of the digitisation tunnel.
Workflow at the majority of companies is increasingly digital, meaning that for the most part they do not need to access analog footage at any point in the process, including storage, retrieval, screening or final delivery of footage to the client. The footage business continues its migration to the web, and websites are improving as companies get more clips online and add more ecommerce functionality. As might be expected given the levels of investment in digitisation, footage companies have become more productive and average headcount has declined since 2007.
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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.
