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Comcast, NBCU partner for dynamic ad insertion
MUMBAI: US cable major Comcast and US media conglomerate NBC Universal have announced that they are partnering to use dynamic ad insertion in On Demand programming, further leveraging the On Demand service as an advertising platform.
Dynamic ad insertion, which is a service that allows for advertisements to be easily changed at any time, has begun rolling out in several Comcast markets. There are plans to expand to the majority of Comcast markets in the coming year. Chrysler and Kraft are the premiere advertisers.
Content from USA Network, E!, Syfy, Bravo Media and Oxygen Media that airs On Demand on Comcast Cable systems will be part of the rollout, which will initially focus on advertisements that run prior to and after a show (pre-roll and post-roll ads) and include dynamic ad insertion for advertisements throughout the show (mid-roll ads) later this year.
Content from additional NBC Universal networks is expected to be added to the service in the coming months.
NBC Universal ad sales executive VP, COO Ed Swindler said, “On Demand programming is a key way to reach today’s consumers and an important part of an advertiser’s marketing mix. This capability helps make the service more advertiser-friendly, giving clients greater flexibility to ensure their ads remain timely and relevant.”
Comcast senior VP, GM of video services Marcien Jenckes said, “With more than 20 billion views On Demand since we launched the service in 2003, and an average of 350 million views per month, the service is a proven platform to reach consumers. Enabling dynamic ad insertion will create more value for advertisers, content owners and Comcast, and allow us to further monetize the VOD platform while presenting more relevant advertising to our customers.”
Traditionally, ads are inserted manually into On Demand programming and remain in place throughout a show’s full window of availability. Technology from Black Arrow‘s Advanced Advertising System allows ads to be easily changed or revised when necessary, allowing clients to more effectively target their marketing messages.
Comcast will make this capability available to other programming networks on its systems in coordination with Canoe Ventures, which will also enable this capability to a broader footprint covering multiple operators by early 2012.
Comcast Spotlight, the ad sales division of Comcast Cable, is bringing dynamic ad insertion to local advertising clients as well. Local advertisers utilising the technology include South Florida McDonald‘s, Richmond‘s nTelos, Virginia Credit Union, NBC12/WBBT-TV and Batteries Plus.
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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.
