GLAMOUR MAGAZINE – Mar 23 – New research by Hinge has revealed ~53% of their users now feel ready for a long-term, serious relationship, with one in three singletons now feeling "more urgency" to find a partner. Dating expert Sarah Louise Ryan believes more singletons are looking to settle as they now know exactly what they want. A study by eHarmony showed 36% of people newly living with a partner believe the past two months feel equivalent to two years of commitment, with important relationship points, such as moving in together, were met far faster than before. Hinge reports that 66% of its users are feeling far more optimistic about dating in 2021, and are confident dates this year will be far better than what we had to endure in 2020.
Category: eHarmony
One in Five Men Prefer to Date Women 5 Years Younger
DAILYMAIL.CO.UK – Mar 4 – In the study, researchers from the Universities of Lincoln and Swansea studied the dating profiles of 120K eHarmony users. Their analysis revealed that one in five British men is in a relationship with a woman five years younger, citing looks and health as key factors for choosing younger ladies. Women prefer to date men at least 18 months older, citing emotional maturity and a desire for a committed relationship as their main reasons why.
Marie Claire Partners With eHarmony
MARIE CLAIRE – Feb 10 – Marie Claire teamed up with eHarmony to help its readers find love over this wild time. The first 100 subscribers who sign up to the app will receive a free copy of romantic novel "The Woman Who Wanted More by Vicky Zimmerman".
by Sarah-Rose Harrison
See full article at Marie Claire
Mozilla Privacy Report Singles out Grindr for Serious Security Lapses
TECH REPUBLIC – Feb 10 – 21 of the 24 dating apps examined were tagged with the "*Privacy Not Included" warning label, noting that apps like Grindr are a "privacy and security nightmare." Mozilla researchers dug deep into the privacy policies and security practices of dating sites, pressing companies with questions like "Can this app or product snoop on me? What data is being collected and who is it shared with? What is the company's track record for protecting users' data? And, What could happen if something goes wrong?" Grindr continues to share other user data, like location, with third parties. Plenty of Fish is also mandating information like users' vehicle ownership and their parents' marital status," the study noted. Lex, built for the lesbian, queer, trans, and non-binary community, collects minimal data, and doesn't share it for marketing purposes. Further, their privacy policy is crystal clear. eHarmony is another app that respects users' privacy and security.
by Jonathan Greig
See full article at Tech Republic
See the top news on Grindr See the top news on POF
See the top news on eHarmony See the top news on Lex
eHarmony’s New Inclusive Ads Are Enraging Some on the Right
NBCNEWS – Feb 10 – eHarmony began offering same-sex matches in 2019. This winter, it launched its first queer-inclusive commercial, featuring a lesbian couple. The ad, "I Scream," is part of eHarmony's current "Real Love" campaign. Launched in 2000 by Neil Clark Warren and his son-in-law, Greg Forgatch, eHarmony initially only offered heterosexual matches. Publicly, Warren claimed that was because he had no expertise when it came to gay dating. After settling a discrimination lawsuit in New Jersey in 2008, eHarmony agreed to launch Compatible Partners, a separate dating site that enabled users to make same-sex matches. CompatiblePartners.com started redirecting to the main eHarmony site in November 2019, and the LGBTQ usership has grown 109% YOY. The right-wing Christian group One Million Moms, which is part of the conservative American Family Association, launched a petition on Jan 29 criticizing the "I Scream" commercial as an "attempt to normalize and glorify the LGBTQ lifestyle," which it calls "unnatural and immoral." The petition received ~15,300 signatures.
Online Dating Now Most Popular Way to Meet Potential Partners
AAP – Jan 27 – According to Monash University and eharmony, by 2038, more than half of newborns will be 'e-babies' – infants born to couples who met online. And by 2040, more couples will be meeting online than in the real world. The Future of Dating report, based on a survey of 2K Australians, found online dating was already the most popular way for people to meet. 30% of respondents said online dating was their preferred method of meeting partners, well ahead of meeting through a mutual friend or meeting at work, at 17% and 16% respectively.
eHarmony Launches New “Real Love” TV Campaign
PR NEWSWIRE – Nov 17 – The three new ads (which belong to a series of seven) feature everyday moments of meaningful connection. The ads will launch internationally on key broadcast outlets across the UK, US and Australia. In the UK, they will air on Channel 4, ITV and Sky. View the ads here.
eharmony: 21% of UK Singles Now on the Hunt for Love
PR NEWSWIRE – Oct 28 – A new eharmony study has revealed that a fifth (21%) of single Brits are fully activated to find love before it's too late. Singletons say they are largely seeking companionship (40%) as opposed to casual dating, and many are worried about feeling lonely during a second wave (36%). A similar number (35%) admit that they want to 'settle down' so they can see the pandemic through within the confines of a long-term relationship.
How Long Does It Take to Decide if You Fancy a Match
EHARMONY – Sep 17 – A new experimental study by cognitive psychologists gives new insights into how we make key decisions on dating apps.
The Meet Group Acquired and Looking at 2022 IPO as ParshipMeet!
BUSINESSWIRE – Sep 4 – The Meet Group announced the completion of its acquisition by the parent company of eharmony. ParshipMeet Group was created to manage The Meet Group and Parship Group. It now operates MeetMe, LOVOO, Tagged, Skout, GROWLr, eharmony, Parship and ElitePartner.
The Meet Group focuses on community while bringing social entertainment to dating, monetizing through livestreaming video. Parship Group brands are market leaders in the matchmaking space; focused on serious relationships and monetizing through subscriptions.
The all-cash transaction represents an enterprise value of ~$500m.
"We are thrilled to combine with a globally leading matchmaking company," said Geoff Cook, CEO of The Meet Group. "We believe this deal will help define the future of dating. We will continue to focus on… building the best dating features in the world, …investing in livestreaming…, and discovering opportunities to expand and grow – organically and through strategic relationships, including our video-platform-as-a-service offering". 195k+ dating games are played each day across The Meet Group's apps, up 104% since March.
"The Meet Group's livestreaming video platform is unique and well positioned for a post-pandemic world where video becomes a critical part of finding and screening first dates," said Tim Schiffers, CEO of ParshipMeet Group. "By combining The Meet Group's assets with Parship Group's strengths, we've created a global dating leader and one of the most diversified portfolios of dating brands in the world. …We see significant potential to further the growth of The Meet Group's video platform-as-a-service products, as well opportunities for knowledge-sharing and cross-selling."
ParshipMeet Group is jointly owned by ProSiebenSat.1, a leading free-to-air TV broadcaster and video entertainment company in the German-speaking markets, and General Atlantic, a leading global growth equity firm providing capital and strategic support for growth companies.
See full article at Businesswire
Additionally, from ProSiebenSat1:
ParshipMeet Group has revenues of EUR 451 million and adjusted EBITDA of EUR 95 million as of H1 2020, for the last 12 months. Double-digit annual growth rates expected
The combined company operates as ParshipMeet Group, a newly-minted unicorn and a leading global player in the online dating market. ProSiebenSat.1 owns 53% and General Atlantic 43% in ParshipMeet Group. The remainder is held by management.
Rainer Beaujean, Chairman & CFO, ProSiebenSat.1 said, "This investment case is also another strong proof of concept of our ability to use the strengths of our Entertainment business to support the growth and development of consumer-facing digital platform and commerce businesses."
Joern Nikolay, MD, General Atlantic said, "We believe in the ability of ParshipMeet Group…to bring transformative digital innovation to the global online dating sector…and harness the power of technology."
Tim Schiffers, CEO, ParshipMeet Group said, "Online dating, and interactive live video in particular, is a global megatrend that will continue to transform all of our lives in the future. …Our brands span the whole spectrum of the online dating market: meeting, dating and falling in love. …We are perfectly positioned for sustained long-term growth."
ProSiebenSat.1 and General Atlantic are evaluating an IPO for ParshipMeet Group in 2022.
See full article at ProsiebenSat.1 website
See the top news on The Meet Group
See the top news on Parship Group