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Animal Planet US launches shows for the Internet
MUMBAI: Infotainment broadcaster Animal Planet in the US is tackling the Internet in a big way. It has announced its first slate of original web series on AnimalPlanet.com that builds on and features the personalities on TV franchises like ‘Finding Bigfoot‘, ‘Tanked‘, Pit Boss and ‘Call Of The Wildman‘ and more.
With short-form digital companions planned for seven of the network‘s most popular returning TV series, the programming includes:
Shorty‘s Top Dog: The PIT BOSS, Shorty Rossi, always has his main man and service dog, Hercules, by his side. But which four-legged friend will be Hercules‘ successor when the time comes for this top dog step down? This ten-episode series, available now online, follows Shorty as he travels to Mexico on his quest to find his future “number two.”
Tanked Aftershow: Kicking off on 22 Marc, the Aftershow catches up with TANKED‘s Wayde King, Brett Raymer and the ATM team and captures the behind-the-scenes stories about the ambitious aquarium projects they take on in each show. The 20-episode series will premiere each Friday on AnimalPlanet.com
‘Hell Cats Revisited: How Do You Like Meow?‘: What happens to those troubled cat owners and difficult felines after ‘My Cat From Hell‘s Jackson Galaxy leaves? In ‘Hell Cats Revisited‘, debuting April 6, Galaxy catches up with the families featured in current premieres and some of the most hellish cats from previous seasons to see if life is still heavenly after expert advice from Galaxy.
‘How to Catch a River Monster‘: From 7 April, this returning online series features ‘River Monsters‘S‘ Jeremy Wade revealing how he captures the elusive, finned creatures featured in the network‘s most-watched series. Wade provides the ultimate guide to fishing for monsters, revealing the tricks of the trade that help him hone in on some of the world‘s most mysterious freshwater fish.
Discovery VP of digital media Miguel Monteverde said, “Animal Planet viewers turn first to our network for their favorite series and stars, and we look forward to helping them connect on an even deeper level with our new online series. From our long-form ‘surprisingly human‘ franchises on the living room TV to complementary short-form web originals on smaller screens, our mission is to delight Animal Planet‘s wildly passionate audiences across all platforms”.
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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.
