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AOL to manage ad sales for NBC, News Corp’s online video service
MUMBAI: Last month US media conglomerates NBC Universal and News Corp joined forces to launch an internet video distribution network with content from television and film. Now the parties have announced that Advertising.com, a wholly owned subsidiary of AOL, will be the ad management services partner for the site. Through this alliance, News Corporation and NBC Universal will launch the largest Internet video distribution network ever assembled, featuring full-length programming, movies and clips representing premium content from at least a dozen networks and two major film studios. Under the agreement, Advertising.com will provide display and video advertising management and fulfillment for the new video site and for the dedicated video player embedded on that site as well as across its distribution partners. Advertising.com will leverage its Lightningcast video ad serving platform to deliver and manage advertising to support the thousands of hours of full-length programming, movies and clips that will be available across the network. NBC Universal chief digital officer and interim leader of the newly announced strategic alliance George Kliavkoff said, “The cross-platform nature and expansive reach of this new alliance make Advertising.com the right candidate to provide ad management services.” Advertising.com president Lynda Clarizio says, “We are pleased to assist this groundbreaking new alliance with advertising fulfillment and inventory monetization. Not only will this new video network offer consumers access to an unprecedented catalog of top-notch programming, it will also provide advertisers with an online opportunity on par with the best in television and movie advertising.” The new alliance the parties state promises to offer innovative ad sales opportunities. Sales of the extensive advertising inventory, adjacent to thousands of hours of video programming and spread across a network of distribution partners, will be shared between the new alliance and its media partners. In addition, display and video advertising inventory not utilized by the site‘s direct sales teams will be monetized by Advertising.com.
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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.
