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Hungama mobile, Amobee tie-up for ad-funded mobile content
MUMBAI: Hungama Mobile has tied up with Amobee Media Systems to bring mobile advertising solutions and ad-funded mobile entertainment content to the south Asian market. The partnership will enable targeted, interactive ads to be inserted into the full range of mobile content and applications for the first time in India, including WAP Browsing, video & music, games, SMS and MMS. Amobee Media Systems is a provider of ad-funded mobile content. Hungama Mobile CEO and MD Neeraj Roy said, “Mobile marketing is a key focus for us. With the Indian market adding over 7 million new subscribers each month, it offers immense opportunity for marketers, carriers, content owners and consumers alike. We are convinced in the ad-funded model to enhance consumption of mobile entertainment and indeed grow it from its current $23 billion market size to $42 billion over the next 3 years.” Amobee chief sales and marketing officer Patrick Parodi said, “Amobee‘s trials with tier-1 operators across multiple regions have shown the huge potential impact of tapping into mobile as an advertising media. Results have clearly shown that users consume considerably more content and communication in the Amobee ad-funded model than in the current ‘user-pays‘ world. In fact, our analysis suggests that this model has the potential to quadruple the current mobile gaming industry alone.” The resulting new revenue stream for operators is particularly significant in South Asian markets, where ARPU is typically sub $8 per month. By offering brands the opportunity to maximize the unique potential of mobile as an advertising media, operators will be able to deliver ‘more for less‘ to their subscribers in the form of advertising-subsidized content and communications.
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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.
