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MDA, MediaCorp join hands for digital branded entertainment
MUMBAI: In a joint effort to develop the nascent online video market, which is set to grow as online video consumption goes mainstream, the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) and MediaCorp have jointly called for content proposals from Singapore independent production companies for digital branded entertainment.
This collaboration, an extension of MDA’s Content 360TV Initiative, is designed to develop, finance, and distribute a slate of original Web productions through MediaCorp’s xinmsn video platform.
The MDA and MediaCorp invite applications from Singapore traditional or digital production companies for format-driven and sponsor-friendly Web productions that are aimed at the younger audience of 15 – 34 years old; who enjoy mainstream entertainment and are active users of social media but not necessarily early adopters.
Both MDA and MediaCorp hope that the producers’ ideas will take advantage of the richness of traditional TV, harness the power of the broadband like interactivity, mobility, social media etc to deliver compelling new entertainment for the connected audiences around the world.
Proposed projects should already have secured some financing to meet their production budgets, and preference will be given to projects with concepts, stories and themes that have international relevance and appeal.
Selected projects will be promoted through xinmsn and potentially on MediaCorp‘s extensive media network. MDA will co-invest up to 50 per cent of the production budget of the selected projects, together with the production companies and their partners. There is also opportunity for the Web series to spin off into television productions, or syndicate onto the TV platform, internationally. The call for proposals will be open until 31 January 2011.
MDA CEO Aubeck Kam said, “We hope Singapore independent producers will increase the value of the productions by exploiting traditional and new online media platforms. We are delighted to work with MediaCorp and the independent production sector to grow the Singapore media industry”.
MediaCorp Deputy CEO (News, Radio, Interactive and Print) Shaun Seow added, “We are very proud to partner MDA in this exciting initiative which we hope will catalyse the development of original web video productions in Singapore. We operate Singapore’s largest local portal, xinmsn.com, which will offer an excellent platform to showcase these productions.
“Producing content for the web also allows producers to push the envelope in terms of interactivity, and to tap on social networking tools to enhance reach”.
Xinmsn, the online bilingual entertainment and lifestyle portal jointly developed by Microsoft and MediaCorp, has seen tremendous growth since its debut in April 2010 and has become Singapore’s top portal attracting more than 1.9 million unique visitors according to comScore, an online measurement agency and preferred source of digital marketing intelligence.
The Content 360TV Initiative was launched by MDA in April 2009 to encourage content producers to develop episodic video programmes in partnership with brands and online publishers. The initiative, which provides partial funding for the early stage development of Web TV content, has since shortlisted nine proposals have been selected, of which four are now in production.
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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.
