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Online video streaming increasingly being used by TV viewers to play catch up: NBC Study
MUMBAI: NBC.com has released new research on its NBC Rewind streaming video player. 78 per cent of its online users have watched an episode they had missed on broadcast television, expanding the reach of NBC Entertainment programming on the Net. Further, 26 per cent have re-watched an episode after watching the broadcast and 34 per cent used the online player to watch a show they had never seen before. In addition, Rewind users built upon NBC Primetime‘s already upscale audience by skewing younger, more male and higher educated than average television and internet audiences. |
NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, digital content, cross network strategy president Jeff Gaspin says, “Our viewers responded strongly to the streaming video on our site. Contrary to conventional wisdom, consumers are ready to watch long-form entertainment on the web and we plan on making more available. We‘re especially encouraged by this research and believe that we‘ve only seen the tip of the iceberg on this new platform.” Since NBC Rewind‘s debut on October 1, 2006, 6.9 million unique users have streamed nearly 42 million full-episode videos. The average time spent per visit in December 2006 averaged 35 minutes for NBC Rewind — the third straight month the figure had increased. Usage of NBC Rewind helped make NBC.com the number one broadcast network website in December 2006 and the third ranking television site overall, behind AOL TV and MSN TV and ahead of Yahoo!TV and ABC.com, according to comScore Media Metrix. |
From an advertising perspective, 81 per cent recall the pre-roll ads after two or more exposures. And 72 per cent agree that Rewind ads are less disruptive than traditional advertising while over 40 per cent agree that ads are easy to remember, seamlessly integrated and caught their attention. More than 60 per cent of users always watch the full episode when viewing in on Rewind. |
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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.
