Applications
HBO expands its online video destination
MUMBAI: US broadcaster HBO has announced that it has expanded its authenticated online video destination, HBO Go, bringing more than 1400 titles to HBO subscribers.
With the new content model, HBO Go now gives online viewers immediate access to virtually all of HBO’s programming inventory.
HBO subscribers can instantly watch every episode of classics like The Sopranos, Sex and the City and Deadwood and current award–winning series like Boardwalk Empire, Entourage and True Blood as well as blockbuster theatricals – where they want and when they want.
HBO co–president Eric Kessler said, “HBO Go is the most robust collection of high quality, exclusive online content. The combination of HBO’s linear channels, HBO On Demand and now the expanded HBO GO gives our subscribers an unmatched value proposition.”
HBO Go is the latest addition to its digital offerings and complements HBO On Demand, with even more viewing choices. HBO GO offers HBO’s acclaimed original series, HBO Films, HBO Miniseries, HBO Documentary Films, HBO Sports, comedies, late night programming and the largest selection of recent blockbuster movies in both standard and high definition.
With content updated continuously, HBO GO allows consumers to instantly watch their favourite programmes from a PC or MAC computer via a browser–based application. In addition, the service includes exclusive and bonus materials, soundtrack and cast information.
HBO Go can be accessed from any US location with a broadband connection. Subscribers can personalize HBO GO through the “Series Pass” capability, which automatically alerts viewers to new episodes of preferred programmes when they arrive on the service. When browsing, subscribers can also bookmark content for later viewing by adding it to their “Watchlist” or restrict content with easy to use parental controls.
The expanded model is now available, at no extra cost, to Comcast XFinity TV, Verizon Fios, Cox Advanced TV and AT&T U–Verse customers who subscribe to HBO.
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.
