Applications
FremantleMedia sets up new digital media initiative
MUMBAI: FremantleMedia is on course to set up a new division called talkbackTHAMES Digital that will develop multi-platform extensions to talkbackTHAMES.
The new segment of FremantleMedia‘s business promises to bring digital media and traditional production closer together for more ‘integrated multiplatform content production‘.
Termed as a ‘U.K. center for excellence in digital media‘, the division aims to enhance viewer engagement with the company‘s brands producing original online content and maximizing commercial opportunities in the new-media space.
At the helm of the new division is Robert Marsh, previously VP of interactive and telephony at FME. He will be responsible for driving the British strategy for the extension of broadcast properties onto digital platforms, as well as across digital licensing, telephony and online commissions.
He will also continue to focus on extending on- and off-air opportunities with new and existing commercial partners and broadcasters.
Marsh will report to talkbackTHAMES commercial director Rupert Brankin-Frisby and FME Dominic Burns‘ senior VP of U.K. licensing Dominic Burns.
Comments Marsh, “Joining traditional and digital media production means that we‘ll be making content that not only complements the television viewing experience but reaches audiences in new ways and gives them innovative and compelling opportunities to engage with their favourite TV shows.”
Other FremantleMedia digital success stories include the BAFTA-nominated website for The X Factor that has had more than 45 million page views, has shown over 14.5 million video clips with 8 million-plus visits.
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.
