Applications
DVRs in 44% of US TV homes
MUMBAI: New consumer research from Leichtman Research Group (LRG) found that 44 per cent of TV households in the US have at least one Digital Video Recorder (DVR), and one-third of DVR households have more than one DVR — representing 14 per cent of all households having multiple DVRs. In 2005, just eight per cent of all households had a DVR.
In addition, 73 per cent of all digital cable subscribers have ever used Video on-Demand (VOD), with 87 per cent of this group having watched an on-Demand programme or movie in the past month. Overall, about 62 per cent of digital cable subscribers used on-Demand in the past month — compared to 52 per cent last year.
Other related findings include:
– 80 per cent of DVR owners rate the service 8-10 (on a 1-10 scale with 10 being excellent) — compared to 80 per cent last year, and 77 per cent two years ago
– 62 per cent of cable VOD users rate the service 8-10 — compared to 60 per cent last year, and 55 per cent two years ago
– 74 per cent of premium on-Demand (POD) users rate VOD 8-10 — compared to 54 per cent of non-POD users
– 63 per cent of all Netflix subscribers rate the Watch Instantly feature 8-10 (on a 1-10 scale with 10 being an extremely important feature or benefit of the Netflix service) — compared to 48 per cent last year, and 37 per cent two years ago
– 20 per cent of Netflix subscribers use Watch Instantly daily, and 57 per cent weekly — last year 10 per cent used Watch Instantly daily, and 43 per cent weekly
– 78 per cent of Watch Instantly users use it to watch movies and TV shows on a TV set
– 86 per cent of Netflix households subscribe to a multi-channel video service, and 43 per cent with a multi-channel video service subscribe to a premium service — similar to all households in the sample, and similar to Netflix households last year
These findings are based on a survey of over 1,300 households throughout the US, and are part of LRG’s study, On-Demand TV 2011: A Nationwide Study on VOD and DVRs. This is LRG’s tenth annual study on this topic.
Leichtman Research Group president, principal analyst Bruce Leichtman said, “On-Demand TV viewing in the forms of DVR and VOD, as well as Netflix streaming, have significantly increased in terms of usage and popularity over the past few years. Yet these on-Demand TV platforms remain largely complementary to traditional TV services and viewing, with about 90 per cent of all TV viewing in the US still being via live TV.”
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.
