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Recorded TV trumps Live TV in Western Europe
MUMBAI: Consumers in Western Europe value multi device access to recorded TV programmes, over other new video services, including access to live TV, a new research has said.
Given a choice of new TV features, including 3DTV, online video access, and multiscreen services, 47 per cent of broadband households in Western Europe’s largest countries selected viewing recorded programmes on any Internet-connected device as one of their top three features.
By comparison, 30 per cent selected live TV as one of their top preferences, according to Parks Associates’ consumer study in Europe, Connected Consumer.
Preference for viewing recorded content on a computer, tablet, smartphone, or other Internet-connected device was consistent across all countries surveyed.
The greatest difference was among French households, with 51 per cent selecting recorded content versus 30 per cent picking live TV.
Consumers in the UK valued both multiscreen services, with 48 per cent choosing recorded TV and 36 per cent selecting live TV, and multiscreen services overall were the least popular in German homes.
Parks Associates director research Brett Sappington said, “Multiscreen access to live and on-demand TV programming is available across Europe, but consumers want access to their recorded content. Consumers use PVRs to record their favourite shows, effectively creating a personalised TV playlist, and they value unfettered access to this programming.”
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.
