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Media companies buoyant on digital revenues
MUMBAI: An Ernst & Young report has revealed that 73 per cent of CFOs from the world‘s largest media and entertainment companies are buoyant about revenue opportunities presented by online and mobile platforms.
This year, total home video and music end-user spending, including digital and physical products, is estimated to be $28.5 billion compared to $36.4 billion in 2006.
By 2012, the report discloses that the average per-unit price of video and music content will decrease by almost 25 per cent from the 2009 prices. This follows a 12 per cent price fall in video and 55 per cent in music from 2006 to 2009.
For its report ‘Poised For Digital Growth: Preserving Profitability In Today‘s Digital World‘, the world‘s leading professional services organisation surveyed CFOs from 75 leading media firms.
The survey found out that there was a consensus among CFOs that the industry must decide if and how much they can bundle media content and then settle on appropriate pricing.
Says Ernst & Young global media and entertainment leader John Nendick, “The phenomenal proliferation of digital entertainment among consumers continues to challenge media and entertainment companies. Revenues are dropping due to the unbundling of media and the reduction of per-unit pricing, challenging CFOs to identify innovative ways to reach their financial objectives.”
“However, as the demand for digitally delivered entertainment continues to increase significantly, CFOs feel optimistic about revenue potential,” Nendick adds.
Of those surveyed, 56 per cent indicated that process improvement would be the greatest opportunity for savings during the couple of years.
The report also notes that CFOs are continuing to cut costs in a bid to improve profitability, including outsourcing more activities.
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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.
