Category: Match Group

Mandy Ginsberg, CEO Of Match: “Online Dating Hasn’t Solved The Hardest Part Of Finding Love”

Posted on July 22, 2017

Match group mandy ginsberg officialBUSINESS INSIDER – July 20 – "No matter what medium you use to meet people, you're going to face the same challenges in finding a relationship", said Mandy Ginsberg, CEO of Match Group. "It's not like you're this holy grail that came into the dating category. You still heard the same things you heard, which is ability to have chemistry, or someone not being sure about their intent, or going out on endless first dates and nothing ever clicking. People are still people — now you're just being introduced to a bigger pool of them. That doesn't mean you won't meet the love of your life online but it may take some rejection and disappointment before you get there."

by Shana Lebowitz
See full article at Business Insider

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Why I Bought Match, The Meet Group And Spark Networks

Posted on June 26, 2017

Buy iconOPW – June 26 – I picked up three stocks in the dating industry. Here's why…

Match Group – In this business, size matters, and Match Group operates at significant scale, along with an International footprint.

Meetme – Are essentially a family run business. They sit in the middle ground between dating and social networking. Fallow ground for growth IMHO. Momo has shown a clear path to monetization, and Meetme should be able to copycat their way to profits by modeling their success.

Spark Networks / Affinitas – Spark Networks has been bumbling along for years. Affinitas has the most to gain by buying them. They'll benefit from economies of scale and combining know-how. They'll be able to raise more money, more easily.

I do not make any recommendations in this post. I'm merely expressing my opinion, and putting my money where my mouth is. You can see one-pager summaries on publicly-held Internet dating companies on Online Personals Watch here.

Read the full post on Courtland Brooks blog.

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Post by Mark Brooks @ Courtland Brooks

Match.com Launches OurTime In UK

Posted on June 20, 2017

Ourtime uk screenshotNETIMPERATIVE – June 19 – OurTime is a dating service exclusively for those aged 50 years and over. The site also has a dating bot, named Julia. This follows the launch of Lara Bot for Match UK earlier this year. The bot uses Artificial Intelligence technology to engage in a casual and personalised conversation with users. Match enlisted Buzzman to create a TV ad campaign to promote the UK launch.

See full article at Netimperative

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Match Group Declares Share Buyback Program

Posted on June 6, 2017

Match group jan 16THE CERBAT GEM – June 4 – Match Group's Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan, which permits the company to buyback 6M outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically a sign that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

by Renee Jackson
See full article at The Cerbat Gem

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Match Group Insider Sells $2.3M Worth Of Stock

Posted on May 31, 2017

Match group logo jan 2017THE CERBAT GEM – May 29 – Match Group insider Amarnath Thombre sold 116,126 shares of the company's stock this week. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.63, for a total value of $2.3M. He now owns 50k shares of the company’s stock, valued at $981,500.

by Doug Wharley
See full article at The Cerbat Gem

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This post also appears on InternetDatingInvestments.

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Pimps Are Recruiting Women Through Dating Sites

Posted on May 5, 2017

WJLA – May 4 – Crackdowns on sites like Craigslist and Backpage are pushing pimps into less targeted spheres, like apps and dating sites. A recent study in the peer-reviewed journal “Victims and Offenders,” reports “some pimps utilize dating websites as opportunities to recruit potential customers and/or sex workers.

by Lisa Fletcher
See full article at ABC6

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Tinder CEO Says Usage Fell After Trump’s Election

Posted on May 5, 2017

Tinder search on mobilePEOPLE.COM – May 3 – Apparently the results of the presidential election did not put most U.S. Tinder users in the mood for love. Match Group Chairman and CEO Greg Blatt, said during an earnings call Wednesday that Tinder saw a drop in activity beginning in November and lasting through February, an apparent anomaly during what is typically a busy period for the dating site. "The post election was weird," Blatt said. Although a majority of the app's users preferred Hillary Clinton, a sizable minority were fans of Trump. According to the results of a "swipe the vote" poll released shortly before the election, 53% of Tinder users planned to vote for Clinton, versus 47% for Trump.

by Kathy Ehrich Dowd
See full article at People.com

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Match Group Q1 Results – International Revenue Up 30%

Posted on May 3, 2017

Matchgroup logo simplePRESS RELEASE – May 2 – "Match Group is off to a solid start in 2017," said Greg Blatt, Chairman and CEO. Revenue was $299M, a 15% YOY increase, led by a 30% increase in direct international revenue. Operating income grew to $59M, a YOY 72% increase. Average PMC grew 16% to 5.9M.

The full article was originally published at Match Group website, but is no longer available.

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Match Group And Investing In Tinder

Posted on May 3, 2017

Match group slideSEEKING ALPHA – May 2 – Match Group is an underappreciated growth story with a market capitalization of $5.1B and operating income of $306M last year. Based on a 20X multiple of 2017 operating earnings (~$400M), Match Group has 50%+ upside. Out of all the brands that Match owns, Tinder stands out the most. Tinder grew its PMC (Paying Member Count) 119% in 2016, to ~1.8M people. This growth isn't showing any signs of stopping, Tinder's PMC grew 18% quarter over quarter from Q3 to Q4 (1.386M to 1.631M). Although Match Group has 278.3M total shares outstanding, its float is much smaller. The company was spun out of IAC in late 2015, and its original parent still owns ~80% of the shares outstanding.The biggest drag on Match's valuation has been the company's debt-load. At the end of 2016, Match still had $1.2B in debt, with only $254M of cash. However, this leverage ratio could change quickly. Match paid down $40M in debt in Q4, and has been simultaneously boosting its cash position. As earnings and cash-flow continue to grow, Match will quickly begin paying off its debt-load, and the company's earnings multiple will expand, making shares very attractive at today's price of $18.50.

by Galileo Russell
See full article at Seeking Alpha

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OKCupid Is Hit With A Suit

Posted on April 24, 2017

Okcupid mobile1COOK COUNTY RECORD – Apr 21 – A man who paid premiums to access A-list dating prospects on OKCupid, only to find out most were dead ends, is suing Match Group in a $5M class action complaint, accusing the company of setting him and other users up to get stiffed. He said Match Group, charges its premiums ($10 – $20/month), to connect with "A-List" OkCupid customers who "liked" a user's profile. After coughing up the cash, the users "routinely learn that most of the users who like them have inactive accounts".

by Scott Holland
See full article at Cook County Record

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