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BBC iPlayer signs new content deals with Aardman Animations, DHX Media
MUMBAI: The Global BBC iPlayer, BBC Worldwide‘s commercial pilot VOD service, has signed deals with Aardman Animations and DHX Media which will see it add to its slate of programmes for preschoolers and older kids.
The new programme acquisitions will join the recently launched CBeebies and Family categories, which encourage family viewing by bringing users the best British entertainment across a range of genres.
From Aardman Animations come ‘Wallace & Gromit‘ in four half-hour films – ‘A Grand Day Out‘, ‘The Wrong Trousers‘ , ‘A Close Shave‘ and ‘A Matter Of Loaf And Death‘. The pair also appear in Cracking Contraptions, a series of 10 short films featuring some of their more outrageous inventions, like the ‘Soccamatic‘, which is supposed to help Gromit‘s goalkeeping skills, and the ‘Snoozatron‘, designed to help Wallace fall asleep.
Additional titles from Aardman Animations include the first series of ‘Creature Comforts‘, animated series ‘The Morph Files‘ and ‘Timmy Time‘.
‘The Wallace and Gromit‘ titles, Creature Comforts and The Morph Files will sit in the Family section of the Global BBC iPlayer targeting older kids, while Timmy Time will entertain preschoolers in the CBeebies category. All the titles from Aardman Animations will be available from December.
From DHX Media come more staples of the CBeebies channels around the world: ‘Rastamouse‘, the mystery-solving and music-loving character, breezes onto the Global BBC iPlayer with his Easy Crew, while dirtgirlworld introduces the app‘s youngest users to nature and all the fun it holds. Also joining the line-up is ‘Grandpa In My Pocket‘, which explores the special relationship between grandparents and grandchildren. All three titles are available now in the CBeebies category.
The new Family and CBeebies genre categories were first unveiled at the Children‘s Media Conference in July by Global BBC iPlayer head of programming, scheduling Derren Lawford. CBeebies gives parents a one-stop shop destination for all programmes for preschoolers, while Family gives older children a range of shows including CBBC favourites like Newsround and Deadly 60.
Lawford said, "I‘m glad that we can keep adding the best examples of high-quality kids‘ programmes for children around the world. The CBeebies and Family categories of the Global BBC iPlayer have been a fantastic addition to the service, making it easier for parents to find shows that will appeal to their little ones, and for older children to have their own bank of entertaining 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.
