WHTC – Sep 3 – Grindr is disappointed by Pakistan's decision this week to block it and four other dating apps including Tinder after they were deemed to be disseminating "immoral content". Pakistan, the second largest Muslim-majority country in the world after Indonesia, is an Islamic nation where extra-marital relationships and homosexuality are illegal. Grindr did not say whether it would seek to discuss the matter further with Pakistani authorities.
Month: September 2020
MeetMe’s Live Video Dating: Dating Online With an Audience
BBC – Sep 2 – On dating app MeetMe, users broadcast live from their phones and then interact with people who tune in. This live vlogging format includes a series of live dating game shows. Livestreamers are paired up to see if there is any chemistry between them. Viewers comment on a "stream" underneath, in real time. MeetMe is part of a suite of dating apps run by The Meet Group. Others include Skout, Tagged (for African-American audience) and Lovoo (an app developed in Germany, which MeetMe bought). Between them they have ~15M users, and on average 180K dating games are played each day, with ~1M people watching the live dates unfold. CEO Geoff Cook describes the platforms as "a public version of speed dating". Plenty of Fish is also currently offering live dating experiences. Badoo has recently experimented with the idea as well.
by Dougal Shaw
See full article at BBC
Mark Brooks: Geoff Cook, CEO of The Meet Group, made a couple of impactful statements in the BBC video interview. Geoff said, "I certainly believe daters no longer have the risk appetite for meeting many different people in person based on something as shallow as a right swipe." This risk, of course, is heightened right now because of covid. However, there's always been additional risks when daters meet in-person for the first time. Especially the risk of disappointment when people have misrepresented themselves in their dating profile and photos. The best thing about video is, video doesn't lie, so when people meet in-person, they're less likely to be disappointed, or catfished. Geoff also stated "…Live-streaming video helps…by really emphasizing personalities" which I think is why this new video dating norm will be here to stay. It's so tough for dating apps to really help people get a sense of chemistry. But with video, users can actually get their first sense of chemistry. That's huge! (Full Disclosure: The Meet Group are a client of Courtland Brooks)
Bumble to Plan IPO at $6B Value
BLOOMBERG – Sep 2 – Bumble is preparing for an IPO that could come early next year. The app could seek a valuation of $6B to $8B. Private equity firm Blackstone Group (known as MagicLab) bought a majority stake in Bumble last year in a deal that valued the company at $3B.
Pakistan Bans 5 Dating Apps for ‘Immoral’ Content
TELEGRAPH INDIA – Sep 2 – Pakistan's telecom watchdog blocked Tinder, Tagged, Skout, Grindr and SayHi after they failed to take down the improper material. The apps were asked to remove "dating services" and moderate live streaming content "in accordance with the local laws of Pakistan" but they ignored the warning.
OKCupid Survey: Singles Don’t Want to Date Non-voters
TrulyMadly Raises Rs 8.1 Crore
ECONOMIC TIMES – Aug 31 – Indian dating app TrulyMadly has raised $1.1M (Rs. 8.1 crore) from several angel investors and a venture capital firm. The company reported a revenue of Rs. 3.60 crore ($493.4k) in the financial year 2018, Rs. 3.48 crore ($476.9k) in 2019 and Rs. 3.45 crore ($472.8k) in 2020. However, this fiscal year, the company expects to reach Rs. 9 crore ($1.2M) in revenue.
by Megha Mandavia
See full article at Economic Times
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