Applications
NDS, TNS introduce STB audience measurement solution
MUMBAI: NDS and TNS Media Research (TNS) have announced an enhancement to their joint TV audience measurement offering, adding the ability to identify individual viewers in homes that have agreed to participate on a measurement panel. |
The RPDi solution, based on the NDS Dynamic audience measurement system and TNS’s RaPiDView analysis service, will help TV operators better understand audience behaviour by collecting and analysing data about individual viewers as well as information at the household level. NDS will demonstrate the RPDi solution for the first time at IBC 09 in Amsterdam. An easy-to-use application prompts viewers to identify themselves by their first name using their remote control and allows users to add any additional guests watching TV alongside them. The service only measures audience viewing in those homes that have agreed to participate through an opt-in process. NDS product marketing manager for ad solutions Gideon Gilboa says, “Operators are turning to STB measurement because it allows them to truly understand the behaviours of their subscribers, providing rich data not available from traditional measurement methods. This includes niche channel viewing, time-shifted TV and interactive usage. “To date this has mostly been reported on a household level but with RPDi customers can have the best of both worlds: rich STB data and strong individual level reporting to improve their business decisions and advertising sales”.TNS Media Research global head of RPD Nick Burfitt says, ”RPD is becoming a standard tool among TV operators in developed markets for driving strategic decisions related to their business. Enriching this tool with individual viewing data adds key information on audience demographics and composition. RPDi is a cost-effective way to bring this functionality to the STB” . NDS and TNS announced their partnership to create and market an end-to-end STB audience measurement solution for digital TV operators at IBC 2008. Joint customers include BSkyB, DIRECTV, Sky Television in New Zealand and FOXTEL. In addition to audience measurement, the NDS Dynamic suite comprises two additional solutions:
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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.
