HELLO GROUP – Hello Group reported Q2 revenue of $366M, down 5.1% YOY. Net profit was $35M, a 269% improvement. Momo had 3.9M paying users, up 11.4%, while Tantan had 500K paying users, down 28.6%.
GDI Podcast With Christopher Alesich, CEO of Sister Wives and Matchmakers
GDI – Mark Brooks spoke with Christopher Alesich, founder and CEO of Sister Wives and Matchmakers. Sister Wives is a dating site for people looking for polyamorous or polygamous relationships. Christopher Alesich discussed why mainstream dating apps do not work well for this market. He talked about changes to the Sister Wives matching system and Matchmakers’ 200-question matchmaking process. He also plans to launch more dating brands.
Tinder Expands Face Checks to Existing Users
WIRED – Tinder is rolling out Face Check to existing users in the US and UK after making it mandatory for new users in October 2025. The company said fake accounts, scams and spam made up 98% of its moderation actions last year. Tinder is also testing optional iris verification through World ID. Security experts say these checks still cannot confirm that someone is trustworthy.
Match Group Cuts Management Roles and Changes Talent Strategy
HR EXECUTIVE – Match Group removed a quarter of its managers last year. Chief People Officer D.V. Williams said the company now bases pay and career development more on skills and performance than titles and tenure. It is also expanding mentoring, graduate programmes and AI training, with no plans to use AI to cut jobs.
Match Group CEO Shares His AI Operating Tactics
YOUTUBE – Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff joined Keith Richman’s podcast to discuss how the company is using AI. He said tools including Claude and Cursor are helping teams work faster and launch features such as Tinder Events and Missed Connections in weeks. He also spoke about using AI in marketing and matching, controlling costs, and protecting authenticity as younger users remain wary of AI in dating.
Hire Right, Build a High-Growth Dating App
OPW – I've been working in dating since the late 90's and running Online Personals Watch since 2004, and IDEA since 2006. At this stage I have a database of over a 1000 people who have worked in the dating industry and left. Invariably they miss us. I often find myself delving into this database for clients to offer up experienced personnel for their teams, or to recruit new people onto the Courland Brooks team. We're here to help you grow your company, and hire great people.
For the price of a marketing manager you can get access to a seasoned team of online dating professionals. See Testimonials here. See pricing and service overview. Email mark@courtlandbrooks.com or simply book an opening call here.
Thursday Named Apple’s App of the Day in the US
OPW – Apple featured Thursday as its US App of the Day on September 3. Co-founder George Rawlings shared the news on LinkedIn and hinted at plans beyond singles events. He said Thursday will introduce new ways to meet in person over the next couple of months, but gave no further details.
Match Group to Pay $650K in New Jersey Settlement Over Background Check Disclosures
WRNJRADIO – Match Group will pay $650K to settle New Jersey allegations that it misled users about criminal background checks. Its dating apps must clearly explain whether they screen users, how often checks are updated, and whether convicted offenders can use the service. Apps that conduct checks must notify existing New Jersey users of the revised disclosures within 150 days.
Hello Group Celebrates 15 Years, Coffee Meets Bagel Quietly Joins the Portfolio
OPW – Hello Group is celebrating 15 years since the launch of Momo in 2011. The company reached 100M+ users and listed on Nasdaq in 2014, before changing its name from Momo Inc. to Hello Group in 2021. Today, its portfolio includes Momo, Tantan, happn, Coffee Meets Bagel Worldwide, SoulChill, TieTie, Pato, Yaahlan, amar and several other social and AI products. Coffee Meets Bagel Worldwide appears to have been quietly added to Hello Group’s portfolio. Coffee Meets Bagel split into two independently operated businesses in 2024 – CMB U.S. and CMB Worldwide. CMB Worldwide is now operated by Hello Group’s Singapore team, while CMB U.S. remains separate. No deal or acquisition was publicly announced.
Reminder: LTR 54 With Markus Frind Is Happening Tomorrow (Wednesday, Sep 2nd)
OPW – The next LTR online dating industry conference is tomorrow (September 2nd at 12 PM EST). Mark Brooks will interview Markus Frind, founder and former CEO of Plenty of Fish. This promises to be a fascinating conversation with one of the industry’s most successful founders. Don’t miss it!
If you hold a full-time leadership role at an online dating, social discovery, or matchmaking company, you are welcome to join LTR events for free.
Why attend LTR?
🏠 Flexible: Attend from anywhere – no travel required.
⏰ Convenient: Live session. 90 minutes.
💰 Free: No registration fees.
See the LTR Edition 54 speakers and invite page here.
This event is kindly sponsored by HubPeople, LeadThink, and Matchmaker.com.
Email mark@courtlandbrooks.com to RSVP.
