Applications
BBC iPlayer app for iPad launched in Finland, Sweden & Demark
MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide has confirmed that the global BBC iPlayer App has been launched in Finland, Sweden and Demark – available exclusively on iPad from the App Store www.bbc.com/iplayer/tv.
The global BBC iPlayer is a video-on-demand pilot subscription service, which launched in 11 Western European markets in July and Australia in September. From today, it will also offer viewers in Finland, Sweden and Denmark a greater opportunity to delve into an archive of classic and contemporary British TV programming upon which the BBC‘s history and heritage is built.
Subscription costs €6.99 a month (or €64.99 for an annual subscription) and viewers will be able to sample carefully selected content for free before subscribing.
The global BBC iPlayer provides access to a range of English language BBC programmes across eight genres: News Specials and Documentaries; Entertainment; Drama; Comedy; Science and Nature; Family and Kids; Music and Culture and Lifestyle, drawn from its 70 year history of producing great television.
Around 100 hours of new programming will be added to the service each month along with themed collections curated from the BBC‘s archive, including David Attenborough and the story of the Royal Family.
The global BBC iPlayer will also give users a greater opportunity to access the BBC‘s music archive. A rich selection of the ‘best of British‘ music performances will be available to subscribers including captivating live shows by Paul McCartney, Oasis and Robbie Williams at the BBC Electric Proms from 2007 – 2009, Blur – Live at Hyde Park and Dire Straits – Arena.
Designed to be intuitive and easy-to-use, a key feature of the app allows subscribers both to stream and to download shows for offline viewing for when Wi-Fi or 3G connectivity is unavailable. The stylish and simple interface enables users to build a personal library of shows as well as navigate the archive by genres and curated collections.
BBC Worldwide President of Worldwide Networks and Global iPlayer Jana Bennett said, “This unique Video On Demand product combines the classic with the contemporary and allows subscribers to mine [the best moments of/highlights from?] seventy years of brilliant BBC programmes, wherever and whenever they want.
“We launched the global BBC iPlayer because we think there‘s an untapped market for the ‘best of British‘ shows, both for Brits living abroad and for all those people we know have a love of great British television.”
Global iPlayer GM Matthew Littleford said, “We‘re proud to be one of the first international broadcasters to give access to our shows in a perfectly packaged app. Reviews of the app have been overwhelmingly positive since its launch in 11 other Western European countries and in Australia earlier this year.”
“The extension into Finland, Sweden and Denmark is an important step in our strategy of pursuing multiple platforms for our programmes and brands, taking British programmes to new digital audiences around the world in an innovative, creative and easily accessible format. During this pilot phase we have an exciting vision for what this service could become and will develop it based on feedback from within all markets.”
The global BBC iPlayer App is now available to download for free from the App Store on iPad at www.bbc.com/iplayer/tv.
The global version of the BBC iPlayer app is an extension of a pilot phase for the service. It became available in Australia in September 2011, following the launch to 11 markets in Western Europe in July 2011.
Applications
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.
