Applications
GlobeCast invests $2.93 mn for HD upgrades
MUMBAI: GlobeCast has renewed and significantly expanded its contract with Uefa in a deal to provide HD coverage of the Uefa Champions League and HD (high-definition) and SD (standard-defination) coverage of the Uefa Europa League to non-European rights holders. GlobeCast has invested more than $2.93 million (€2 million) in HD upgrades for its two UK sites, making it one of the most HD capable ad hoc service providers in the world. For the Uefa Champions League, GlobeCast has partnered with Israeli-based Satlink to deliver all games of Europe’s most prestigious football competition in HD to 26 territories across the Americas and Asia each night of the competition, which runs from mid August to May. Up to eight games per night will be downlinked in HD from the Eutelsat W2A and Eutelsat W3A satellites using a wide range of new Tandberg RX 1290 receivers across both sites. Each feed will then be compressed, using Tandberg E 5782 encoders, into four multiplexes of two 31Mbt HD channels – to fit within 36Mhz satellite transponder slots. English commentary mixes will also be added to all games via ISDN. For broadcast across the Americas, GlobeCast will convert all eight games using new state of the art Snell and Wilcox Alchemist frame-rate converters. Each feed will then be uplinked out of Brookman’s Park to two Intelsat satellites for downlink by rightsholders. For Asia, Africa and the Middle East, two feeds will be uplinked out of Brookman’s Park to the IS904 satellite and the other six out of Satlink in Israel to the Asiasat 2 satellite for downlink by rightsholders across the region. Similarly for the Uefa Europa League, GlobeCast and Satlink will provide downlink, capacity and uplink services in SD for the early stages and the same in HD for the later stages of the competition. GlobeCast has worked with Uefa for the delivery of the Uefa Champions League into Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas since 1997.
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.
