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Mobile ESPN subscription service launched
NEW DELHI: It‘s in, it‘s happening, but will it deliver on the monies? Sports broadcaster ESPN Star Sports today announced the launch of Mobile ESPN, marking its entry into the mobile value added services (VAS) domain in India. The sports TV major sought glory at a press conference here today as the first out of the door in this field with its service, which kicks off from 15 November. The Indian mandarins of the company were, however, taken by surprise when asked how they could claim a projected success, when the same service had to be withdrawn in the US. Mobile ESPN was launched in February with a huge promotional campaign but was disbanded within six months. Though the service was viewed as a technological success, it never caught on with consumers, who were apparently unwilling to pay a $10 to $50 premium to get highlights, fantasy sports alerts and even live games on ESPN-branded phones. |
There was also some discomfort at the pitch over the rights issue — whether information of cricket, for example, being provided by ESPN Mobile could clash with rights holders like the Board for Control of Cricket in India? Sricharan Iyengar, ESPN India vice-president (sales and marketing) and head of emerging technologies, responded to a question on how the rights issue would affect them, saying that they were presently in a “rights-agnostic” situation. Venkateish added that they were news service providers and “no on can black out news”. He pointed out that most TV news channels were showing match reports anyway, without anyone coming in their way. As of now, ESPN Mobile promises to launch a three-pipe outlet, with news, statistics, pre- and post-match analysis and what have you on all sports, from cricket to tennis to F1 to ice hockey through the mobile phone, Internet (through its website espnmobile.in) and TV. |
Sports fans will be delighted, said Iyengar, with the “360 degree” coverage of sports in all possible formats, voice, video, text, SMS and games. Mobile ESPN services can be availed by dialling 505-ESPN (3776) on the phone or by sending an SMS to (ESPN) 3776, which will be the ESPN short code nationally. On entering the voice portal, consumers can select from a module comprising sections such as Welcome and user navigation; Cricket; Football; Sports center; and New Super Selector. The price range is attractive, with monthly packages scaling between Rs 50 to RS 99, with the higher-end providing all possible services, including video. Venkateish foresees a sea change in the media over the next five years, with the expected number of mobile phone users climbing by 30 per cent over the present 100 million, and ESPN has clearly pegged its business plan on the amazing growth in mobile connections across the country. His punchline was, “We don‘t want work to come in the way of sports.” The company is working to optimise delivery through various service providers on the mobile networks, Iyengar said. “The voice service has been specially developed for India,” he said, adding, “this will give an hour-by-hour update. The voice news service was more satisfactory, with crisp info on the latest sports events being packed into a short 1.20 minute take. “We are aware that the user is paying Rs 6 per minute for getting the news and have developed the programme to give him the maximum.” So far as a business plan was concerned, the two spoke of seamless integration and an advertising model being built in. “Once we have built up a substantial subscriber base, we can also explore advertising on the service,” Venkateish said. The service, which is a presentation of the ESPN Star Sports joint venture, will be hyped on and off air and will see approximately Rs 400 million spent on marketing activities. The service of ESPN mobile will start off with English, then Hindi (in the first quarter of 2007), to be followed by other Indian languages subsequently. Gaming software is also being developed for subscribers of the service, according to Iyengar. |
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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.
