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BBC Worldwide licenses content to Hulu in Japan
MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide has licensed content to website and over-the-top (OTT) subscription service Hulu in Japan.
The multiple year agreement will initially see around 600 hours of BBC Worldwide programming made available on the multi-device platform from 17 February.
The deal represents the largest volume of BBC Worldwide content on any platform in Japan, with titles licensed across drama, comedy, music, lifestyle, natural history, science and history, including ‘Doctor Who‘, ‘Spooks‘, ‘Little Britain‘, ‘Walking with Dinosaurs‘, ‘Top Gear‘ and ‘Life‘.
Hulu subscribers in Japan will also be able to watch premieres of ‘Polar Bear – Spy on the Ice‘ (feature length version), and the ‘Absolutely Fabulous‘ 20th Anniversary Specials, available for the first time to Japanese viewers as part of the deal.
BBC Worldwide sales, distribution Asia GM, senior VP Joyce Yeung said, “We’re excited to be expanding our business in the Japanese digital sector by becoming the first British distributor to partner with Hulu in Japan. Hulu’s versatile service opens up a new audience for our catalogue, which covers everything from entertainment formats and international drama productions, to cutting-edge science documentaries and world-renowned natural history titles.”
Hulu in Japan head of content acquisition Kazufumi Nagasawa said, “Our goal is to bring Japanese entertainment fans unlimited streaming access to the world’s premium content whenever and wherever they want to watch. The BBC is home to some of the most premium content on the planet, and we are thrilled to make these programmes available to Hulu subscribers”.
Hulu Japan launched in September 2011, marking the first expansion of Hulu outside of the US. The service allows Japanese consumers to watch unlimited content on multiple internet connected devices.
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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.
