Internet Dating Newswire

Love On The Run: Plentyoffish Emerges As Most Visited Mobile Dating Application

Savvy POF Singles Prove the Web is So Last Year

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 9, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Plentyoffish.com (POF.com), the world's largest online dating site, surpassed 300 million monthly visits to their free iPhone and Android apps in January 2012. With the popularity of location-based dating surging, finding a date this Valentine's Day is literally at your fingertips as online dating evolves.

"With an increasingly tech savvy public, the online dating world needs to step up to accommodate the advancement of the industry," says Markus Frind, founder and CEO of POF. "And that's exactly what we've done with our apps."

The apps' success is a testament to the growing popularity of mobile-based services and changing habits of daters, with mobile traffic on POF increasing at a rate of 3% a week. "40 percent of sign-ups in the U.S. are now via mobile device," adds Frind. And with mobile users accounting for over 3 billion page views a month, the major shift in the industry has become undeniable.

"Singles are using our mobile apps as an easy way to find matches who are close by, and bring an online relationship into the real world in a matter of minutes," says POF's Dating Coach, Sarah Gooding. "It's become easier than ever for someone with a busy schedule to put time and energy towards finding a possible date. People are using mobile dating apps on the bus, on the train, in their car pool, and while walking down the street – it's incredible. The introduction of mobile apps on the scene has completely revolutionized the industry of online dating."

To download the POF dating app for iPhone or Android, go to:

For iPhone: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pof-mobile-free-online-dating/id389638243?mt=8

For Android: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.pof.android&feature=search_result

About POF
POF.com is the world's largest online dating site, with more than 39.5 million registered users. The site features the most advanced matching system in the industry, and many other customized tests including a "Chemistry Predictor" and "Needs Assessment" to help users find a match. The site receives over 7 billion page views per month, and is available in 5 different languages.

Source: SacramentoBee

Shagbook.com Launches Mobile-Enabled Website For Daters On The Go

UK-based adult dating site Shagbook.com has announced that it is now offering a mobile-enabled version of its popular website, allowing busy daters the option of accessing the site from their smart phones.

London, February 8, 2012 /SBWIRE)/ -- From anywhere in the world, UK-based adult dating site Shagbook.com has announced that it is now offering a mobile-enabled version of its popular website, allowing busy daters the option of accessing the site from their smart phones and tablets.

This mobile-enabled website automatically resizes to fit each device, whether one is looking for a date from their home computer, their tablet or their smart phone – wherever they are in the world.

The mobile platform features includes:

- New members can register without pre-sign up from a desktop site.

- A multi-button dashboard that allows members to undertake many key actions including Messages, Winks, Who’s Viewed Me and Favourites.

- The dynamic member profile view enables members to see the commonly viewed information about a member.

- Local member search – allows users to take advantage of the device’s built in geo-location (GPS) information.

- Advanced search functionality - equal to that of the search capability available to desktop browser users.

- Accepts all common debit / credit card types from both VISA and MasterCard.

Shagbook.com is the UK’s premier adult dating site for adults looking for hookups with no strings attached. The site features thousands of active members throughout the UK, with new members joining daily!

To view the new mobile-enabled website in action, simply visit m.shagbook.com on the handheld device. Shagbook intends to follow up with a full-blown mobile App for smart phones and tables, sometime in early 2012.

About Shagbook.com
Shagbook.com is the UK’s premier dating site for adults looking for hookups with no strings attached. For more information, please visit http://Shagbook.com.

Source: SBWire

Celebrating 10 Million Members

WINDSOR, UK, 20 January 2012 /GLOBAL PERSONALS/ – WhiteLabelDating.com, the award-winning platform and services provider, is today celebrating its 10 millionth member.

Matthew Pitt, Operations Director at WhiteLabelDating.com, comments: “With the explosive popularity of using the Internet for social interaction, we have seen an acceleration in the number of new members. This is great news for online daters, as everyone is looking for someone and with 10 million members, we have someone for everyone.”

Matthew continues: “There are also more online dating sites available than ever before. Jazz FM recently launched Jazz FM Dates and Jongleurs established Jongleurs Dating, both using WhiteLabelDating.com. With Valentines Day fast approaching, it is the time to take your love life online, and there is a site out there for everyone. From sports to religion, hobbies to music, sites are now tailored to people’s interests. We are delighted to welcome our 10 millionth member and look forward to the 20 millionth.”

10 million people are now dating online with the WhiteLabelDating.com network. 10 million is also:

- The number of bricks in the Empire State Building
- The population of Belgium
- The number of visitors to Egypt each year
- 5 times the population of Dubai

About WhiteLabelDating.com
Launched in 2003, WhiteLabelDating.com offers a platform for brands and individuals to power their own dating sites that currently includes The Independent, Cosmopolitan, Bauer Media and PlentyMoreFish as partners. WhiteLabelDating.com provides the dating software, membership database, payment processing, customer support, hosting infrastructure and much more. You provide your brand, website design and marketing and we do the rest.

WhiteLabelDating.com is part of Global Personals Ltd, that has received a collection of accolades including fastest growing company in the South East, UK, in the 2011 and 2010 Deloitte Fast 50, ranked 19th in Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA, won Digital Business Of The Year 2010 and highly ranked in both The Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 and the European Media Momentum Top 50, 2011. WhiteLabelDating.com has also won ‘Best Software Provider’ and ‘Best Affiliate Program’ at the 2011 industry awards, iDate.

PR Contact:
Louisa Page
Tel: +44 (0)1753 271280
Email:press@whitelabeldating.com

Source: WhiteLabelDating

Interest In Online Dating To Grow By 60% In The New Year - Mamboo.com

This Christmas, Mamboo.com noticed an average 40% increase in user activity. Could this be Santa's ultimate present: love?

LONDON, January 3, 2012 /PR Newswire/ -- The holidays may be the time for a new relationship, with Mamboo.com seeing an average of 40% more page views per user between Christmas and New Year.

"It's been a trend that we've been noticing for many years now," says Mamboo's COO, Gloria Diez. "Could it be more than just the effect of the mistletoe?"

The company is reporting some interesting statistics, including members sending 30% more online gifts, as well as a 38% increase in spending on the site. The number of messages sent and received by members also doubled.

The company made contact with two psychologists to find out why.

Barbara Lavi, a Family Therapy Specialist, was happy to share her theories:

"At this time of year everyone is flooded with images of family and companionship. Singles may see this as a complete contrast to who they are, so set out to change things for the better," she advises.

Isabel Moya, Youth Psychology Therapist, had this to say:

"During the Holidays, singles are put in a tough position - having to cope with and navigate social situations in which they are often the only person without a partner. This can be very uncomfortable, prompting a desire for change," she explains.

Mamboo also forecasts a rather romantic January, with 60% more traffic to their site expected during the first two weeks of the year.

Mamboo can be found online at: http://www.mamboo.com

About Mamboo.com
Mamboo (mamboo.com) is a global social dating service. With free registration, users get unlimited access to search through profiles and communicate via instant messaging . Mamboo gives its members the opportunity to find the love of their life, to flirt and hook up, or just to make new friends. Private equity firm, FINAM Capital launched Mamboo. Mamboo has many investors, including Digital Sky Technologies, who also invested in successful projects such as Facebook, Zynga and Groupon. Mamboo belongs to a global dating system, with agreements with other major global publishers that include MSN and Yahoo.

Contact: Kunle Campbell press@mamboo.com World of Dating. Ltd 9 Devonshire Sq. London EC2M 4YF Tel. +44(0)20-300-20749

Source: Sacramento Bee

Spark Networks(R) Shares The Love And Gifts More Than $32,000 To Tuesday's Children

Leading Operator of Online Dating Communities Makes Donation to Support 9/11 First Responders and Victims of Terrorism

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, Dec 21, 2011 /MARKETWIRE via COMTEX/ -- This holiday season, Spark Networks LOV -0.80% , owner and operator of dozens of online communities including, JDate(R).com, the leading community for Jewish singles, and ChristianMingle(R).com, the largest and fastest growing Christian singles community, is sharing the love by donating more than $32,000 to Tuesday's Children, a non-profit family service organization committed to serving those impacted by the events of September 11, 2001 and terrorist incidents worldwide. The funds will be allocated to help underwrite Tuesday's Children's First Responder Alliance program, which serves 9/11 rescue and recovery workers who suffer from physical and mental health issues related to the disaster, as well as their families.

"As a company whose mission is building families and communities, we are proud to partner with Tuesday's Children," says Greg Liberman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Spark Networks. "For us and the millions of members of our communities, the holidays are all about giving and we are honored to be able to make this impactful gift to help support Tuesday's Children and, specifically, its First Responder Alliance Program."

The contribution is of the result of a 9/11 giving-back initiative Spark Networks ran on two of its premier websites, JDate and ChristianMingle, through which Spark donated a percentage of all new subscriptions purchased on September 11, 2011, to Tuesday's Children.

Terry Sears, Executive Director of Tuesday's Children, said, "Spark Networks' generosity will have a tremendous impact on the programs and services that we deliver for the families and children so terribly impacted by the events of September 11th and in particular for the brave and heroic 9/11 responders. Tuesday's Children is thrilled to be supported by Spark Networks."

Spark Networks' mission is to help people make connections and foster meaningful relationships through its portfolio of online communities. The company's emphasis on family building and community aligns with Tuesday's Children's objective to strengthen families affected by terrorism, giving this donation great significance to Spark Networks.

To learn more about Spark Networks and Tuesday's Children, please visit www.Spark.net and www.TuesdaysChildren.org.

About Spark Networks Spark Networks, Inc.
(www.Spark.net) is one of the world's leading providers of online personals services. Spark Networks' shares trade on the NYSE Amex under the symbol "LOV" (nyse amex:LOV). The Spark Networks portfolio of consumer websites includes, among others, JDate.com (www.JDate.com), ChristianMingle.com (www.ChristianMingle.com , BlackSingles.com(R) (www.BlackSingles.com) and SilverSingles(R).com (www.SilverSingles.com).

About Tuesday's Children
Tuesday's Children is a non-profit family service organization that has made a long term commitment to every individual impacted by the events of September 11, 2001 and more recently those who have been impacted by terrorist incidents worldwide. Since 2001, Tuesday's Children has promoted healing and recovery by strengthening family resilience, providing individual coping and life management skills and creating community through programs, mental health support and family engagement opportunities.

Source: Spark Networks

Woo Media (Woome.com) Acquired by Zoosk

Woo Media, Inc. the live interactive video network, with web properties including WooMe.com, Shufflepeople.com, and Monsterchat.com, today has announced its sale to Zoosk, the world’s largest social dating site.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, November 02, 2011 /PR Web/ -- Woo Media, Inc. the live interactive video platform, with web properties including WooMe.com, Shufflepeople.com, and Monsterchat.com, today has announced its sale to Zoosk, the world’s largest social dating site. WooMe’s 10 Million users will soon be able to engage directly with Zoosk’s user base of over 100 million users. In addition, all properties owned and operated by Woo Media will also be merged into Zoosk.

“We are pleased to have been acquired by Zoosk, a company with a massive user base, innovative and rich set of social features, and a highly scaleable platform. The sale to Zoosk will ensure that Woo Media’s users continue to benefit from a high quality social experience by gaining access to over 100 million other members, expansive and innovative features, and leading Facebook and mobile applications. Zoosk has massively disrupted the online dating space with continued innovation and we’re excited about its future prospects for our users,” said Stephen Stokols, Woo Media’s CEO.

Woo Media, Inc was founded in 2007 and subsequently launched its first site, WooMe.com at the inaugural Tech Crunch 40 event, gaining significant traction in the nascent real time voice and video social networking space, ramping to 1MM users within the sites first year. Through its growth, Woo Media continued to innovate, developing the industry’s first live video publishing platform and launching several leading interactive properties. Woo Media, Inc, grew its social entertainment network to 9MM visits per month, 10 millions users, and a top 2k Alexa ranking.

Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

About Woo Media (Woome.com)
Woo Media operates one of the world's largest interactive video platform. It’s consumer properties include WooMe.com, MonsterChat.com, WooMe.tv and Shufflepeople.com as well as several Facebook and mobile applications.

Founded in 2007, Woo Media had offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco and London. Investors of the company include: Atomico Investments (founded by Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis), Index Ventures, Mangrove Capital Partners, Klaus Hommels and Oliver Jung. For more information, please visit: http://www.woo-media.com

###

Stephen Sokols
Woo Media, Inc
310-570-2145

Source: Yahoo! News

PlentyOfFish.com Ranks As The Most Visited Internet Dating Site In The US

PlentyOfFish.com is consistently the most popular dating site in the US with over 54 Million visits a month.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, September 06, 2011 /PR Web/ -- According to reports from ComScore and Experian Hitwise, PlentyOfFish.com (http://www.PlentyOfFish.com) was consistently ranked as the most popular dating site by visits in the US every month, for the first half of 2011.

ComScore ranked PlentyOfFish.com number one among all US dating sites from January through June 2011, with an average of over 54 million total visits each month. Their closest competitor in the online dating category averaged just over 27 million total visits per month – just over half of the traffic at PlentyOfFish.com. Overall, PlentyOfFish.com’s traffic accounted for 28.87% of all US-based Internet dating traffic, while their closest competitor accounted for 14.45% of the same group.

May was PlentyOfFish’s best month with over 68 million total visits – an impressive 37% of the total 187 million visits to online dating sites in the US for the month.

Experian Hitwise corroborates ComScore’s findings, ranking PlentyOfFish.com number one among dating sites for the first half of 2011. Hitwise indicates that worldwide, PlentyOfFish received over 90 million total visits during this period. They also report that users spend an average of 20:54 minutes per session online at PlentyOfFish.com, 54% more time than visitors spend per session with the aforementioned competitor.

Kate Bilenki, the Director of Love at Plentyoffish explains "Plentyoffish.com has been so popular because it is free to use, simple and it works and, with social stigma surrounding online dating virtually gone, most singles are turning to Internet dating services.  We are able to offer a highly competitive product at no cost, making Plentyoffish.com the #1 choice."

For more information, please visit http://www.PlentyOfFish.com.

About PlentyOfFish.com
PlentyOfFish (http://www.plentyoffish.com) is the largest online dating website in the world with more than 33 million registered members. Boasting 5 billion page views and 250 million visits per month, PlentyOfFish.com is the best in the business when it comes to matching singles online. The site offers its members several tools for dating success, which include a "Chemistry Predictor"; a "Needs Assessment" tool as well as many other customized tests to help them find a match. Socializing is made simple with the help of PlentyOfFish.com's Chat feature, as well as singles events and parties around the globe.

Source: PR Web

FriendFinder Networks Inc. Announces Acquisition Of PerfectMatch.com

SUNNYVALE, CA, July 18, 2011 /PR Newswire/ -- FriendFinder Networks Inc. (“FFN”)(NasdaqGM: FFN), a leading internet and technology company providing services in the rapidly expanding markets of social networking and web-based video sharing, today announced the acquisition of PerfectMatch.com from Matrima, Inc. PerfectMatch.com is a leading online relationship service helping adults seeking successful, lasting connections. Adding to FriendFinder Networks’ vast portfolio of social networking sites, PerfectMatch.com is a welcome addition to the platform of FFN’s general audience websites.

“This is an exciting opportunity for FriendFinder Networks as it expands our presence in the general audience social networking arena,” says Marc Bell, Chief Executive Officer of FriendFinder Networks Inc. “This is the first step in an acquisition strategy that will strengthen our business and continue our growth.”

Unique to PerfectMatch.com is the Duet® Total Compatibility System, which analyzes the “whole person” to find friends, taking into account each member’s personality, values and ideals, life and love-style preferences to identify and find the person right for them. This proprietary system enables PerfectMatch.com to provide the best online capabilities and member experience to those seeking true love, a relationship or marriage.

In conjunction with the acquisition, PerfectMatch.com founder Duane Dahl will join FriendFinder Networks as General Manager of the Company’s general audience dating websites group, including Amigos.com, AsiaFriendFinder.com, BigChurch.com and SeniorFriendFinder.com.  Mr. Dahl’s experience and knowledge in the area of entertainment integration helped to forge partnerships for PerfectMatch.com with numerous world-class brands, including Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., NBC Universal, iVillage and MSNBC. PerfectMatch.com has been featured prominently in numerous films and TV shows including Lifetime Original Movie “Perfect Romance,” “Must Love Dogs” starring Diane Lane and John Cusack, a special one hour Valentine’s “Dr. Phil” show, dedicated entirely to PerfectMatch.com, “Good Luck Chuck” starring Jessica Alba, “Dancing With the Stars” and “Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” starring Kevin James.

# # #

Forward-Looking Statement
This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ from expectations, estimates and projections and, consequently, you should not rely on these forward looking statements as predictions of future events. Words such as “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “budget,” “forecast,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “believes,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results.

Additional information concerning these and other risk factors is contained in the Company’s most recent filings with the SEC.  All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning the Company are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above.  The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made.  The Company does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in their expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the Company’s securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.

About FriendFinder Networks Inc.
FriendFinder Networks Inc. (www.FFN.com) is an internet-based social networking and technology company operating several of the most heavily visited websites in the world, including AdultFriendFinder.com, Amigos.com, AsiaFriendFinder.com, Cams.com, FriendFinder.com, BigChurch.com and SeniorFriendFinder.com.  FriendFinder Networks Inc. also produces and distributes original pictorial and video content and engages in brand licensing.

Investor Contact for FriendFinder Networks Inc.
Brian M. Prenoveau, CFA
Director, Investor Relations
561.912.7035 or investorrelations@ffn.com

Media Contact for FriendFinder Networks Inc.
Lindsay Trivento
561.912.7010 or ltrivento@ffn.com

Source: FFN.com

IAC, Operator Of Match.com And Other Popular Dating Sites, Unveils New Online Dating Site For Singles 50-Plus

With More Than a Million Active Members at Launch, OurTime.com Delivers a Targeted Online Dating Experience and a Great Opportunity to Find Companionship.

LOS ANGELES, May 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today IAC (NASDAQ: IACI), the operator of Match.com and other popular online dating brands, announced the launch of OurTime.com (www.OurTime.com), a site specially customized to meet the needs of singles over the age of 50. By combining the membership of some of IAC's existing dating sites that cater specifically to singles 50 and up, OurTime.com launched with an initial user base of more than one million members. This makes it the world's largest dating community specifically targeted to the unique needs of singles over 50. With such a robust and steadily growing membership, OurTime.com offers singles over 50 an excellent opportunity to find companionship and fulfillment in this rewarding chapter of their lives.

"With the launch of OurTime.com, life just got a lot more interesting for singles over the age of 50," said Josh Meyers, CEO of People Media, the targeted dating subsidiary of IAC. "OurTime.com offers singles over 50 a unique combination of focus and selection – we've gathered more than 1 million 50-plus singles who share their desire to date within their age group. This natural affinity makes it easier to find like-minded matches and strengthens the relationships formed through the site."

Over the last two years, IAC's dating sites have experienced significant gains in membership among singles over 50. The rapid growth, which included a 400% increase in this member segment on People Media sites alone, prompted a newly energized approach to the category.

"This growing segment has clearly embraced online dating," said Greg Blatt, CEO of IAC. "Our approach with any demographic category is to provide online dating choices, and this is no exception. To complement the broad-based experience enjoyed by so many over 50 on Match.com, we're offering the more targeted experience of OurTime.com.  We expect substantial growth to continue with this group across both properties."

Internal research has illuminated interesting differences between singles over 50 and younger demographics, including:

• Those surveyed are more interested in companionship and long-term relationships than in marriage, in contrast to younger groups;
• At the same time, women in this group are more traditional in their thinking when it comes to online dating – they prefer to be asked out rather than make the first move; and
• Singles over 50 tend to be considerably happier than their younger counterparts and, on the whole, experience less stress about their personal lives."Much of the pressure of parental expectations, child-rearing and career has lessened or is gone by this stage in people's lives," said Dr. Gail Saltz, OurTime.com's Relationship Expert and a go-to relationship contributor for NBC's "The Today Show." "This allows singles to approach dating from a more relaxed perspective. Their main concern now is simply to live life to the fullest."

Before their reintegration as OurTime.com, IAC's sites dedicated to 50-plus singles added almost 10,000 new users a day and reported a daily average of more than 300,000 communications exchanged by members. Thousands credit the sites with introducing them to that special someone with whom they can enjoy this tremendously fulfilling chapter of their lives.

OurTime.com is currently live and can be accessed at www.OurTime.com.

About People Media
People Media (www.PeopleMedia.com), a business unit of IAC, is the number-one provider of targeted online dating communities for singles seeking meaningful relationships. These specialty sites provide a customized experience for those who wish to date within a specific demographic. A rapidly growing innovator in the online dating space, the company operates 28 individual web properties, including BlackPeopleMeet.com and SingleParentMeet.com. The flagship site, OurTime.com, was created by combining the membership of People Media's SeniorPeopleMeet.com and SeniorsMeet.com. With more than one million active members, OurTime.com is now the largest online community catering to singles over 50. The Company is based in West Hollywood, CA.

About IAC
IAC (NASDAQ: IACI) operates more than 50 leading and diversified Internet businesses across 30 countries... our mission is to harness the power of interactivity to make daily life easier and more productive for people all over the world. To view a full list of the companies of IAC please visit our website at www.iac.com.

Source: IAC.com

Singles365 Expands Dating Portfolio Into South African And Mature Markets

WINDSOR, UK, 19 April, 2011 /Global Personals/ – Singles365.com, one of the largest privately owned dating brands in the UK, has expanded its dating portfolio by expanding into the South African market and launching MatureSingles365- a dedicated offshoot for the over 40’s.

Paul Fitzpatrick, Head of Consumer Marketing, comments:

“The brand is getting bigger by the day. Our network provider WhiteLabelDating.com has seen huge growth in both the South African and Mature markets so it’s great to develop Singles365 into these booming areas. Being able to offer consumers a tailored choice is vital in this ever-growing industry and we look forward to rolling out more developments over the next 12 months.”

The main site, which has over 2 million members in the UK, has introduced a variety of new features and site functions using member survey feedback and testing to implement the changes. Consumers are able to register and import photos from their Facebook accounts with a few simple clicks and the profile page has been redesigned for user ease. A dedicated, UK-based support team is also on hand to help all members with any queries they have, big or small.

The UK online dating industry is predicted to be worth 150m GBP annually by 2014, according to Mintel. WhiteLabelDating.com’s South African network has grown by 19% since January, with the Mature UK network also increasing by 18%.

With future plans to launch in USA and Ireland, Singles365 continues to pave the way as one of the UK’s leading dating sites in the market.
-ENDS-

PR Contact:
Louisa Page
Tel: +44 (0)1753 271280
Email: lpage@globalpersonals.co.uk

About Singles365.com:
Established in 2003, Singles365.com has been helping people find romance, meet new people and enjoy new experiences for seven years. The site welcomes people of all ages and all backgrounds from across the UK.

At Singles365.com, we always put our customers at the heart of everything we do. We are continually investing in technology and customer service to provide the safest, friendliest and easiest to use dating platform possible. Our customers can call us every week day for free to speak to our 25 strong customer service team.

Source: GlobalPersonals.co.uk