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Drama shows, multiplatform viewing is hot: Survey
MUMBAI: With the new fall television season heating up this week in the US, Comcast has announced the findings of its TV Pulse Survey. The survey reveals that 81 per cent of individuals plan to watch primetime TV this fall and nearly 60 per cent state the fall TV season is important to them. The data also reports that while many consumers plan to tune into this year’s fall primetime line-up live, the usage of time-shifting technologies such as On Demand, the internet and through digital video recorders (DVRs) continues to increase. | ||
The company says that the research clearly indicates that time- and place-shifting convenience is complementing live TV viewing and making entertainment better for consumers. Fall primetime trends: With several new programmes debuting and many favourites returning to primetime TV, when viewers were asked what they planned to watch the most this fall, they said – drama series (68 per cent), comedy (67 per cent), movies (61 per cent), news/educational (47 per cent), Comcast adds that its customers will have access to all of the highly anticipated shows in these categories this season whether they want to watch live on TV, On Demand, online or by DVR. Comcast is also reporting a nearly 25 per cent increase among its customers viewing fall TV series through Comcast’s On Demand service from 2007 to 2008. Time-Shifting Trends On the Rise : Also, according to the TV Pulse Survey, nearly 85 per cent of consumers plan to tune into this year’s fall primetime line-up when the shows air on TV while 78 per cent of individuals under 35, and more than 50 per cent of those over 35 also plan to use technologies such as video-on-demand, DVRs and the internet to watch their favorite fall primetime programmes. In fact, more than 67 per cent of consumers said if they missed a show and knew it was available through video-on-demand, they would watch it. The survey further demonstrated that individuals are turning to time-shifting technologies to complement their live TV viewing due to personal schedules (81 per cent). |
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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.
