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HBO relaunches website to reflect new brand image
MUMBAI: US broadcaster HBO is unveiling a newly imagined and flash-based web site (www.HBO.com) that it says reflects its brand, programming and reputation for technical innovation.
The fully integrated site incorporates content that brings a more robust level of engagement to consumers and fans of HBO shows, including newly designed presentations of popular features like episode guides, cast and crew information, behind-the-scenes clips, music and locations.
HBO VP, brand strategy and digital platforms Alison Moore says, “We wanted to create a rich, interactive online destination worthy of the HBO brand. Fully dynamic, the new HBO.com allows us to extend HBO’s promotional digital footprint through a rich and engaging design that is built upon a platform of technical innovation.”
Optimised to provide a totally immersive experience on any computer, the site’s key expanded features include streaming video, enhanced schedule that includes the HBO HD and HBO On Demand schedules as well as email reminders and filters for your various programmes.
Additionally, the new feature aims to help users share content with friends in and outside of the HBO community, with a set of share tools that includes email, video embed and post functionality.
One can also create a dashboard of favorites, plus bookmark discussions, clips, and even get recommendations for new content based on favored programmes.
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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.
