NEWSWIRE TODAY – Jan 12 – iDate2010 Miami is the largest single gathering of online dating CEOs,
matchmakers, and social networking executives in one room. The event is on
Jan 27-29th and online registration closes on Jan 22nd. Several pre-event sessions are on Jan 27th. This includes
an intense session on search, a complete overview of the Online Dating
Industry and an event for Matchmakers. The 75 minute closed-door
session for buyers and sellers of dating sites, that will take place on Jan
27th, is designed to allow interested parties to meet early, prior to
the conference. FULL ARTICLE @ NEWSWIRE TODAY
Month: January 2010
BlackPeopleMeet.com Launches Free Online Magazine
BUSINESS WIRE – Jan 12 – BlackPeopleMeet.com, the online dating site
devoted to African-American singles, has launched BlackPeopleMeet.com
Magazine, which is free and requires no
membership. It is filled with insightful advice and perspectives to help
single African-Americans navigate through the world of dating, love and relationships. FULL ARTICLE @ EARTH TIMES
Oxigen Partners With WDP To Launch MyCupid In India
NEWSWIRE TODAY – Jan 12 – MyCupid, a new matrimony site, launched in India by Oxigen, an IT-enabled multi- services platform, and World Dating Partners. A user can create a profile, update information, upload pictures and videos, chat and selectively allow others to browse their profiles. The payment for these services can be made through Oxicash, hence you don’t need a Bank account or a credit Card to use the "paid for" services. FULL ARTICLE @ NEWSWIRE TODAY
Iris Robinson’s Infidelity Scandal Is Not So Scandalous
PRESS RELEASE – Jan 12 – Iris
Robinson, wife of First Minister Peter Robinson, admitted that she engaged in an extramarital affair with a 19-year old
lover. Noel Biderman, CEO of AshleyMadison.com, says this is just another example of the
evolution of traditional marriage in our society. AshleyMadison.com was
created to provide those seeking extramarital affairs a place to meet people
who share their situations and desires. Additionally, Noel Biderman has written
a book entitled “Cheaters Prosper: How Infidelity Will Save the Modern
Marriage”.
Massive January Snowstorm Boosts Adultery Website
PR NEWSWIRE – Jan 11 – It's been reported that on a typical day,
anywhere from eight to ten thousand people sign up to
AshleyMadison.com, infidelity dating site. Last Thursday,
over 25,000 new members signed up. That's someone new joining the
infidelity service every 3 seconds, making it AshleyMadison.com's most
profitable day ever. FULL ARTICLE @ IT NEWS ONLINE
Founders Of FastLife In A New Reality Show
NATIONAL POST – Jan 11 - Justin and Annabelle Parfitt are the stars of Love Incorporated, a new reality TV series airing on the Slice network. Justin and Annabelle own FastLife, a speed dating company that operates in Canada, Australia, US, UK and China. The couple lives a semi-nomadic existence, bouncing between desks in existing offices and meetings in developing markets. The 13-episode series focuses on the couple's relationship and their business, zeroing in on some of FastLife's 150-200 monthly events.
The full article was originally published at National Post, but is no longer available.
DNA Matching
MAIL ONLINE – Jan 11 – DNA matching offers the chance to pick a partner with the widest possible variety of genes and therefore the best immune system for any potential children,’ explains Eric Holzle, a former engineer-turned-matchmaker who runs ScientificMatch. DNA testing can ascertain whether or not you will have ‘a more satisfying sex life with less chance of cheating’. Both ScientificMatch and Swiss company, GenePartner.com, which provides a DNA matching service for a variety of dating sites in Europe and the U.S., cite the infamous 1995 ‘sweaty T-shirt’ experiment in which women were asked to sniff the T-shirts of similarly aged men and rate their body odours as proof that DNA matching works. ScientificMatch offers life membership site for ~£1,200. Meanwhile, GenePartner’s tests start at ~£60. FULL ARTICLE @ DAILYMAIL.CO.UK
See all posts on GenePartner
See all posts on ScientificMatch
FriendFinder Sets IPO Terms
REUTERS – Jan 10 - FriendFinder set the terms of its initial public offering on Friday, cutting its size by more than half. FriendFinder's properties range from AdultFriendFinder.com to BigChurch.com and SeniorFriendFinder.com. It also publishes pictures and video, and the magazine Penthouse. FriendFinder plans to sell 20M shares for $10 to $12, each. At the midpoint that would raise $220M. The company filed for an IPO in December 2008 of up to $460M, but did not disclose details. FULL ARTICLE @ REUTERS
Online Dating Industry Will Grow By Almost A Third
SYDNEY MORNING HERALD – Jan 10 - The Australian online dating industry grew by 5% last year and is expected to grow by a further 5 to 10% this year. According to dating site RSVP survey 50% of respondents had tried online dating and 10% had met their current or most recent partner on the internet. Business analyst IBISWorld expects the industry to earn ~$100M from subscriptions and advertising this year. Cupid Media, Australia's biggest online dating company, has 33 websites that specialise in religion, ethnicity, sexual preference and physical appearance. The company started at least three new websites every year and had ~15M customers in 50 countries. IBISWorld does, however, expect the boom to slow in a few years with the increased sophistication of social networks. FULL ARTICLE @ SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
Mark Brooks: People Media was recently sold for $80 million to IAC. Cupid Media is doing well. I wonder how long it will be before they are acquired? First Beat Media, World Singles, FriendFinder's network of sites, Avid Life Media are other examples of networks of niche sites that have exceled and enjoyed the benefits of the 'network effect.' Given the choice, users will often join multiple sites within a network, which means improved ARPU. (Full Disclosure: First Beat Media and Avid Life Media are current clients of Courtland Brooks. World Singles is a former client, and I worked for FriendFinder in 2003-2004).
Lovestruck Raises £285,000
PR WEB – Jan 10 – London dating site Lovestruck.com has raised £285,000
in Series A funding. Lovestruck.com matches single professionals to
others who work close by for coffee, lunch or after-work drinks. FULL ARTICLE @ PR WEB