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Asia Pacific to drive massive IPTV expansion: Study
MUMBAI: Digital TV Research forecasts that the number of homes paying for IPTV will rocket to 155 million by end-2016, up from 35 million at end-2010.
The IPTV forecast report, covering 73 countries, goes on to explain that the Asia Pacific region will supply 85 million of the 120 million additional subscribers during this period. In fact, China will provide 70 million of the 2016 total subscribers, up by more than 10 times its end-2010 total.
Report author Simon Murray said, “By 2016, 83 per cent of the paying IPTV subscribers will take triple-play [TV, broadband and telephony services], with 10 per cent paying for dual-play [TV and broadband] and only seven per cent as standalone TV subscribers.
Global IPTV penetration was only 2.6 per cent of TV households at end-2010, but will climb to 10.5 per cent by end-2016. IPTV penetration will reach 12 per cent in Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe and Western Europe. By 2016, penetration will be highest in Cyprus (42 per cent).
IPTV revenues will climb to $17 billion in 2016, up from $6 billion in 2010 and less than $1 billion in 2006. The US will remain the largest IPTV revenue earner by taking a quarter of the 2016 total (down from a third in 2010).
Murray added, “In developed countries, there is downward pressure on ARPU as pay TV competition increases and as DTT makes an impact. ARPU is also being forced down as cable operators and telcos convert their subscribers to dual-play or triple-play bundles. So triple-play IPTV subscribers will generate 73% of the total IPTV revenues in 2016 – lower than triple-play’s proportion of IPTV subscribers as triple-play subs will pay less for TV services as part of their bundle.”
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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.
