NY POST – Apr 30 - The number of paying subscribers to MatchGroup dating sites topped 4M in the most recent quarter. That’s an increase of ~500K subscribers in the quarter. More than half of that gain came from new subscriptions to Tinder Plus, execs said. Cowen & Co. reckons 276K Tinder Plus subscriptions have been sold since the March 2 launch, generating ~$3M in revenue.
Month: April 2015
Tinder Discriminates Older User, Claims Class Action Suit
LAW360 – Apr 30 - Tinder was hit with a class action alleging its mobile dating app discriminates on the basis of age and gender by charging more for men and users over the age of 30 to use its premium service. Plaintiff Michael Manapol alleges he paid $19.99 for a one-month subscription to the service, while Tinder charged $9.99 for those under 30. He also alleges he was hit with recurring, automatic renewal fees in violation of California law and that the service illegally debited his account without authorization.
IAC Q1 Results: Dating Revenue Up 2%
IAC – Apr 29 – The Match Group Q1 revenue increased 13% YOY to $239.2M. Dating revenue increased 2% YOY to $201M. The number of paid subscribers in the dating sector increased 16% YOY from 3.6M to ~4.7M globally. Greg Blatt, Chairman of the Match Group, did not disclose Tinder’s paid subscribers and MAU on the IAC earning call but says Tinder's MAU growth continues to be solid. The Match Group operating income decreased 36% YOY ($25.9M) driven by increased marketing spend.
The full article was originally published at IAC website, but is no longer available.
The Inner Circle Launches Apple Watch App
PRESS RELEASE – Apr 29 – The Inner Circle, the UK high end dating site for successful and aspirational singles, is now available on Apple Watch.
See full article at The Inner Circle
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This post also appears on Wearable.ai.
Can Tinder-Plus Lead IAC Much Higher?
THESTREET – Apr 29 – According to analysts Tinder Plus should push IAC's stock past $80 and make up for declines in other businesses. "This is a game of critical mass, and they have it," said Mark Brooks, CEO of online-dating consultancy Courtland Brooks. "Tinder could generate ~$12M per quarter," says Barclays analyst Chris Merwin. Brooks believes Tinder should bring in more money from subscriptions than from ads. IAC doesn't release Tinder Plus subscriber figures, but it said subscriptions in its dating business grew 16% in Q1 while revenue increased 2%. Some estimates peg Tinder users at ~24M. The app has been downloaded ~40M times. Brooks said the pay service should by nature hold down some growth. "The reason they have started charging this early is that they can't let mobile dating become entirely free. If the free category as a whole gets too big, it kills market for them. It is strategically critical that they don't let mobile dating be too free. They needed to at some point start branding. It's the brand leader that will win this game," Brooks said.
Spark, A Dating App Used In Tube, Is Growing
THE NORTHERN ECHO – Apr 29 – David Marsden and Gabriel Sharp have launched "Spark", a dating app designed to be used on the tube. Using a new, low energy Bluetooth rather than data connection, the app could be used where there’s no WiFi or phone signal, while preserving battery life. User sends one free Spark a day and the recipient only receives it once the two have parted ways, they then have 24 hours to respond. Spark has already attracted 10K users since its launch in March. David and Gabriel spent two weeks handing out flyers at Tube stations.
by Ruth Campbell
See full article at The Northern Echo
OpenMinded Is A New Dating Site For Cheaters
DAILY MAIL.CO.UK – Apr 29 – OpenMinded is a new dating site created by Brandon Wade. The site is for polyamorous couples and swingers. Brandon Wade is also behind controversial dating sites Seeking Arrangement, WhatsYourPrice and Miss Travel.
Waltzz Dating App: India’s Take On Tinder
FORBES – Apr 27 – India has always been a nation of matchmakers. In the 90s, matchmaking went online with Shaadi.com. Waltzz is a new app that is something between Tinder and Shaadi. Waltzz has several safety features, including requests for LinkedIn, Facebook, phone and email verifications; screenshots are disabled, and last names are eliminated from user profiles. Once uploaded, profiles are verified through a keyword scan for any abusive or unhealthy language in comments sections. There’s also a quick quality control check on the photos that users have uploaded.
Tinder Will Get Webby Award
AFP – Apr 28 – Webby Awards, the online equivalent of the Oscars, honors websites and online services in categories including entertainment, education, humor and news. The winners will be honored at the 19th Annual Webby Awards ceremony on Monday, May 18. Tinder got the "breakout of the year" Webby.
Lunch Actually CEO To Speak At iDate Beijing
IDATE – Apr 28 – Violet Lim, the CEO at Lunch Actually will discuss the Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia online dating markets. The iDate (Internet dating conference) will be held in Beijing next month (May 28 – 29, 2015) at the Crowne Plaza Beijing Chaoyang U-Town in China. Chinese Mobile Phone Manufacturer Xiaomi, and Daniel Haigh, Co-Founder of Oasis, will also speak at the event.