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ESPN US launches an online video games channel
MUMBAI: US broadcaster ESPN has launched the ESPN Video Games Channel presented by GameTap. This is a section of the sports site, ESPN.com. Developed in collaboration with Ziff Davis Game Group, the co-branded section delivers sports video game-focussed content including sports video game news and reviews, trailers, audio and video podcasts, industry analysis, interviews and more. Additionally the section will soon feature the GameTap Video Game Vault. This section will give fans in-depth information and histories about hundreds of the most popular video games from a number of game platforms. |
Content for the section is provided by both Ziff Davis Game Group and ESPN.com, and will include material from 1UP Network sites 1UP.com, GameVideos.com, and FileFront.com and magazines Electronic Gaming Monthly, Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine and Games for Windows: The Official Magazine, as well as from ESPN writers and contributors. Fans can find the new page can at: sports.espn.go.com/videogames/index |
Content on the ESPN Video Games Channel will include: Video and Audio — A weekly video podcast from ESPN.com and the 1UP Network, modeled after “The 1UP Show” and available through ESPN.com‘s PodCenter and 1UP.com; — Sports-oriented gaming demos, strategy videos, and preview trailers from GameVideos.com; — A weekly, co-branded audio podcast about the latest in sports games available through ESPN.com‘s PodCenter and 1UP.com; — Game and statistical simulations from popular sports titles. News, Reviews and Information — News about the latest sports video games on the market; GameTap Video Game Vault — Fans will be able to read about, and in some cases play, popular past sports arcade, console and PC video games, including games originally available on various video game platforms such as Atari 2600, Genesis, Neo-Geo, SEGA Genesis, Commodore 64, Intellivison and more. Community — User-submitted content from FileFront.com, a leading site for gaming downloads; |
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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.
