Applications
More than 200 bn online videos viewed globally in October
MUMBAI: ComScore, which measures the digital world, has released inaugural data on worldwide online video viewing from the comScore Video Metrix service.
The report found that nearly 1.2 billion people of age 15 and older watched 201.4 billion videos online globally during October 2011. Google Sites, driven by YouTube.com, ranked as the top video destination with nearly 88.3 billion videos viewed on the property worldwide during the month.
comScore product manager for video Dan Piech said, “As global broadband connectivity continues to rise, online video viewing has taken off in a big way and has become a fully integrated component of the digital content experience. With the introduction of comScore‘s global measurement of online video viewing, multinational media brands and advertisers can now gain a more comprehensive understanding of how online video reaches audiences around the world.”
YouTube delivers two of every five videos viewed worldwide:
In October 2011, 201.4 billion videos were viewed online from a home or work location, with the global viewing audience reaching 1.2 billion unique viewers age 15 and older. Google Sites led as the top global video property with nearly 88.3 billion videos viewed on the property during the month, accounting for 43.8 percent of all videos viewed globally. YouTube.com was the key driver of video viewing on Google Sites, accounting for more than 99 per cent of videos viewed on the property.
China-based Youku was the second largest video property globally with 4.6 billion videos viewed in October (2.3 percent global share), followed by Vevo which accounted for nearly 3.7 billion videos (1.8 percent share). YouTube is an important channel for Vevo, with over 97 per cent of Vevo videos viewed on the company‘s YouTube channel.
Canadians Watch Most Videos, While Turkey has Highest Video Penetration : An analysis of selected online video markets by engagement revealed that viewers in Canada and the U.S. averaged the highest number of videos per viewer in October, at 304 videos and 286 videos, respectively. Viewers in the UK averaged nearly 269 videos per viewer during the month, while viewers in Turkey and Germany both watched an average of 251 videos.
An analysis of selected markets with the highest penetration of online video viewing revealed that 93.6 per cent of internet users in Turkey watched at least one video online during the month, followed by Canada with 90.9 per cent of web users consuming video. Other European markets that ranked within the top 10 were Spain and France with nearly 89 and 87 per cent reach of online video amongst their internet population.
YouTube Delivers Most Videos Across European Markets:
An analysis of the top video properties for the European markets currently reported in Video Metrix reveals Google Sites, buoyed by YouTube, to be the top property for each of these countries. Google Sites accounted for at least 34 percent of all videos viewed in the month for each country and more than half (55.9 per cent share) of all videos viewed in Italy. Google Sites also exhibited high rates of viewer engagement in each of the European markets, with viewers spending at least four hours on the property in October.
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.
