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Young Americans prefer watching TV online to the DVR: Study
MUMBAI: Online viewing of TV is higher among 18-34 year olds in the US. 70 per cent have watched TV online at some point in the past. In comparison, only 36 per cent ever viewed a show on a DVR or a TiVo. Research company SRG says that its most recent research confirms what is likely obvious to many observers – most young TV viewers are already living in a post-DVR world with much greater availability of online video both legally and also via peer-to-peer sources. For the ‘Prime Time is Anytime‘ study, the company interviewed 1,200 Americans aged 12 and older in November 2008, during the fall sweeps and then compared results to past tracking surveys taken in the fall of 2007 and 2006. Online viewing of TV shows at some point in the past is now at 50 per cent, double the rate of 25 per cent in the fall of 2006. Hulu has significantly increased its awareness, with 24 per cent saying they have heard of the website. Hulu audience skews young and male – with an average age of 33 and 2-in-3 visitors are men. 15 per cent of online Americans have visited the website of one of the major networks in the last month specifically to watch a TV show online. But unlike Hulu’s audience, 54 per cent of this audience is female and the average age of 39 is much closer to the average of the broader Internet audience. The research also found that online TV audiences are happier with their viewing experience compared to last year—46 per cent rate their latest viewing experience on one of the network sites as excellent, up 7-points from the 2007 average of 39 per cent. Dancing with The Stars, Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy were among the top titles for online viewing on network sites. Outside of YouTube, major of the top-of-mind destinations for videos, TV shows and movies are ABC, Yahoo!, NBC, Hulu, MySpace and CBS, each receiving over five per cent in mentions from online Americans.
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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.
