Applications
ESS targets 10 mn Indian subscribers for mobile services by 2012
MUMBAI: ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has announced specialised value Packs for its Mobile ESPN service in India. The specialised packs have been designed for the sports enthusiast in India and will provide customised packages for the regular updates on Cricket, International Soccer, English Premier League and Sports News in Voice and SMS formats. Riding on the growing penetration of mobile telephony as well interest of the youth of India in varied sports specially cricket and soccer, Mobile ESPN is targeting 10 million subscribers by 2012. Mobile ESPN is currently available on Airtel, Hutch and BSNL networks. ESS had entered the mobile realm last year. |
ESS head new media business Sricharan Iyengar said, “Mobile ESPN is targeted to be the home of sports for fans across India. Our mandate is to deliver the latest sports news, information updates, analysis and statistics to sports fans anytime, anywhere. “There is a huge market to be tapped as there is a growing audience for sports like Soccer, Motosports and Tennis. Cricket still remains the most popular game in the country. With expertise and experience of ESPN, we are uniquely positioned to exploit this market. The launch of specialised value packs is a part of our strategy to provide sports‘ fans the latest information on their favourite sport, the way they want it”. |
TThe newly launched packs are ‘EPL/ FA football SMS subscription pack‘, ‘International Football SMS pack‘, ‘Sportscenter News pack‘, ‘Cricket SMS pack‘, ‘Mobile ESPN Voice portal pack‘ and ‘Hatrick‘- a game based application on the Hindi movie of the same name. The EPL/FA Football SMS subscription pack will offer regular news updates on the league to EPL fans. The service comes at a nominal charge of Rs 50 per month in which the users will get 22 SMS alerts every week related to the top 5 EPL clubs i.e. Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle. The alerts will feature daily morning Football news headlines, match schedule on all match days, match summary after every match and EPL points table every Monday. The International Football SMS pack available at Rs 50 per month will keep soccer fans updated on the latest from the arena of international football. The pack includes 23 SMS alerts every week related to the top 5 International clubs other than the ones in EPL i.e. Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan and Inter Milan. The alerts will include daily morning Football news headlines, match summary after every match and gossip from the International Football arena. The Sportscenter News pack will keep the users updated on the latest news from the world of sports. The Sportcenter service is charged at Rs 30 per month and includes 2 SMS alerts daily- morning and evening- from the world of sports as they happen. To be updated with the latest from the World of Cricket– from toss update to Man of the match, who‘s scoring the tons, fall of wickets, updates and expert analysis at regular interval, Mobile ESPN has launched the Cricket SMS Pack which will feature regular SMS alerts on every match covering toss update, regular match scores, fall of wickets alerts, and the match summary. It will also have a daily news headlines from the World of Cricket. This service is available at a nominal charge of Rs. 30 per month. Mobile ESPN launched India‘s first dedicated sports service on voice on mobile. To begin with the service is available in English and Hindi. Mobile ESPN users have to dial 5053776 and listen to Off TV updates and analysis from cricket, reviews, previews and expert views on all the cricketing action across the globe; the Sportscenter News updated regularly throughout the day; Football news and scores from the EPL and all other international leagues. Call charges to 5053776 is at Rs.6 / min. Mobile ESPN voice services can also be availed on monthly subscription at a rental of Rs.99 / per month and call charges at 10p / min. |
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.
