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BBC.com audience up 21 per cent in Asia Pacific: study
MUMBAI: BBC.com‘s traffic in Asia Pacific has grown by 21 per cent in its monthly reach in the second quarter of the year compared to the same period last year, says the latest results delivered by ComScore. According to the report, the number of visitors per month has now risen to 8.4 million in the region which is more than twice the size of its nearest competitor. BBC.com remains the largest international broadcast news website in Asia Pacific. The figures also show loyalty to BBC.com around the globe with 72 per cent of audiences reportedly staying with BBC.com rather than visiting a competitor site (competitive set includes CNBC, Financial Times, CNN.com, MSNBC.com, and the Economist). The latest ComScore records show considerable peaks in traffic in Asia Pacific particularly during key world events during this time. These include the India elections, the swine flu epidemic and Iranian elections.
BBC.com executive VP, MD Luke Bradley-Jones says, “It‘s hugely encouraging to see our online presence in Asia Pacific expanding and the loyalty towards our website around the globe.”
BBC.com is part of the BBC‘s international advertising proposition with a multi-screen portfolio that includes BBC World News, BBC Global Channels, BBC Mobile and lonelyplanet.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.
