by Sara Lebow
See full article at eMarketer
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Category: Bumble
Google to Let Spotify Use an Alternative Payment System
BARRON'S – Alphabet's Google and Spotify Technology have reached a deal that allows the streaming giant to offer its own billing service within its app, paving the way for other developers to wrestle back billing control from app stores amid antitrust concerns. Google said the partnership with Spotify was a pilot with a small number of participating developers, designed to explore ways to offer users the choice to pay the developers directly while maintaining Google's "ability to invest in the ecosystem." The company plans to explore user billing choice in other select countries. Over the last year, Google's parent company, Alphabet, and Apple have faced antitrust litigation regarding the fees the app stores charge developers. Spotify and Google did not disclose whether – or how much – Spotify will have to pay Google for in-app billing services. If Google was imposing a lower fee, it could serve as a positive precedent for other app developers, like Match Group and Bumble.
Russia’s App Store Lost 7K Apps Since Its Invasion of Ukraine
TECH CRUNCH – The Russian App Store has lost 6,982 mobile apps since the start of the Ukraine invasion, as numerous companies have now pulled their apps and games from Apple's iPhone and iPad App Stores in the country. Amid the widespread exits, several Big Tech companies' apps continue to rank highly on the Russian App Store. Russia is not the only country being impacted in this way. Many publishers also removed their apps and games from the App Store in Belarus. That country has now seen a loss of 5,900 apps since the invasion's start. Bumble and Badoo are gone, too.
Which Dating Apps Got the Most Press Coverage Last Year?
OPW – Last year, we mentioned 281 internet dating industry brands in 1,066 posts. Although Match Group and its brands are clearly dominating this list, Bumble takes first place this time, even though only by one post. Here is the full list of companies with the most press coverage for last year.
- Bumble (131 posts)
- Tinder (130 posts)
- Match Group (96 posts)
- OkCupid (43 posts)
- Hinge (42 posts)
- Match.com (35 posts – shared)
- Grindr (35 posts – shared)
- The Meet Group (31 posts)
- Blued (23 posts)
- Spark Networks (22 posts)
Why Bumble Is Calling on Daters to Close the Romance Gap
Bumble Stock up 16%
MARKETWATCH – Shares of Bumble were up ~16% in after-hours trading Tuesday after the online-dating company posted upbeat user-growth numbers. Bumble had 1.64M paying users in Q4, up from 1.27M a year prior. Bumble disclosed that it plans to discontinue its operations in Russia.
Bumble Q4 and Full Year 2021 Results
BUMBLE – In addition to announcing its Q4 and full year 2021 results, Bumble has also announced that it is discontinuing its operations in Russia, as well as removing all of its apps from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in Russia and Belarus. The combined revenue from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus was ~2.8% of total Bumble annual revenue in 2021.
Q4 2021 Financial Highlights:
- Revenue increased 25.7% YOY to $208.2M.
- Bumble app revenue increased 42.2% to $150.5M.
- Badoo app and other revenue decreased (3.5)% to $57.7M.
- Total paying users increased 10.6% to 3M.
- Net loss was $14.7M, compared to net loss of $26.1M in Q1 2021.
Full Year 2021 Financial Highlights:
- Revenue was $765.7M, compared to $542.2M in 2020.
- Bumble app revenue was $532.9M, up from $337.2M in 2020.
- Badoo app and other revenue was $232.8M, compared to $205M.
- Net earnings were $286.9M, compared to loss $(110.2)M in 2020.
Bumble: Going Into Q4 Earnings, What to Think About
SEEKING ALPHA – Bumble is about to report its Q4 2021 next week. Revenues should increase. Paying users are up. Bumble is down ~65% in 6 months. However, facts demonstrate a business that is thriving. As of Q3 2021, Bumble carried a net debt position of approximately $335m. This is manageable. Q3 2021 saw Bumble's EBITDA margins go from 33.1% to 27.2%. Q4 2021 is guided for EBITDA margins of 26%.
by Michael Wiggins De Oliveira
See full article at Seeking Alpha
Mark Brooks: Match is the behemoth, and Bumble the contender. There is much to love about both companies.
Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Bumble
PR NEWSWIRE – The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP filed a securities class action lawsuit against Bumble for omissions and fraudulent misrepresentations relating to the company's business, operations, and prospects. The complaint alleges that the Registration Statement failed to disclose any problems plaguing Bumble's dating apps or the slowdown in Bumble's paying user growth.
Why the VC Missed out on Gaming and Online Dating
DOT.LA – When Andrew Chen first began investing in LA startups as a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, he says there were two areas of opportunity that they left unexplored: online dating and video games. "We'd never invest in online dating, and we'd never invest in video games," Chen said at the Upfront Summit venture capital conference in Downtown L.A. "In the next couple years, if you'd invested in Tinder and Bumble, they would have been really good – but for a while those were considered unattractive." Chen said he's now spending "more than half my time" vetting gaming investments, in particular. "Our goal is to invest in what might be the next major social networks," Chen said.