Applications
Global BBC iPlayer adds weekly news collection
MUMBAI: The global BBC iPlayer app, available in 11 European markets, has introduced a weekly-updated BBC News programme collection to its multi-genre video-on-demand service.
A selection of News strands, previously broadcast on BBC News channels – both domestic and international – over the past week will be available for new and current subscribers to stay informed and view at their leisure.
The selection of titles available will be Newsnight (BBC‘s flagship news and current affairs programme, noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians); HardTalk (a half hour interview show that asks the difficult questions and gets behind the stories that make the news); Click (covering news and recent developments in the world of consumer technology); Fast Track (delivering the latest insider travel news, including destinations, amazing experiences and practical advice); and Talking Movies (a guide to the best in film, from the most recent Hollywood blockbusters and ground-breaking world cinema).
BBC Worldwide president Worldwide Networks and Global iPlayer Jana Bennett said, “The BBC is respected around the world for the strength of its journalism and we know that international audiences highly value BBC News programming. I‘m really pleased that we’re now able to give BBC iPlayer subscribers access to an array of authoritative News shows that will capture the topics and debates at the heart of the international news agenda.”
The global BBC iPlayer app launched in Western Europe in July 2011, delivering the award-winning programming upon which the BBC’s history and heritage is built. For €6.99 a month (or €49.99 for an annual subscription), the app is currently available in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, The Republic of Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. More territories are due to launch later this Autumn.
Subscribers are able to access a selection of English language programmes across eight genres: News Specials and Documentaries; Entertainment; Drama; Comedy; Science and Nature; Family and Kids; Music and Culture and Lifestyle.
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.
