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MySpace video to launch branded channels
MUMBAI: MySpace today announced the launch of a new section within MySpace Video featuring premium content from the top news and lifestyle brands relevant to the community. In the coming months, MySpace Video will launch ‘branded channels‘ for its global network with news outlets including National Geographic, The New York Times, Reuters, and lifestyle outlets including The Daily Reel, Expert Village, Flow, Fox‘s IGN Entertainment, Octane TV, Kush TV, Ripe TV, Studio411, VBS.tv (from the makers of Vice Magazine), and Young Hollywood. |
MySpace general manager of video and SVP of public affairs Jeff Berman said, “The upcoming branded channel launch continues the growing momentum of MySpace Video. We‘re empowering our partners to customize their own video channels and use them as hubs to create a niche experience for users.” All branded channels will live inside MySpace Video and will contain varying content offered by each respective partner. In response to user demand, the initial set of MySpace Video branded channels will focus news and lifestyle categories. |
| This announcement comes on the heels of the recent partnership announcement with Mark Burnett for a new political reality show, Independent. |
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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.
