Spark Acquires MingleMatch

PRNEWSWIRE -- May 23 -- Spark Networks announced that it has completed the acquisition of MingleMatch.  MingleMatch's brands will join Spark Networks online personals communities led by AmericanSingles® and JDate®. 

Mark Brooks: MingleMatch runs 21 dating sites: Adventist Singles Connection, Asian Singles Connection, BBW Personals Plus, Black Singles Connection, Canadian Personals, Catholic Mingle, Christian Mingle, Deaf Singles Connection, Greek Singles Connection, Indian Matrimonial Network, Interracial Singles, Iranian Singles Connection, Italian Singles Connection, Jewish Mingle, Latin Singles Connection, LDS Mingle, Military Singles Connection, Muslim Matrimonials Network, Prime Singles, Single Parents Mingle, UK Singles Connection

Comments

[Dave Evans]

According to Gail at Spark, some of the MingleMatch properties will be
integrated into existing Spark sites while others will remain standalone. I bet
they will cherry pick the high-value members and leave the rest alone. I don't
really get why this deal went through, growth across MingleMatch sites wasn't
that hot. Spark is in quiet period so we won't know more details for a while
but I bet they overpaid for more members to appear more attractive to investors.

I wrote last fall about MM membership:

1,000,000 new subs / 20 sites = average of 50,000 members per site. If each
site grew
twofold in 9 months, sites averaged 25,000 members each in January. No
indication on original paid subs to use as a base to give some perspective to
the 133% growth claim.

Perhaps they wanted to appear to blanket more niche sites? In that case the MM
deal makes sense.

[Ann Hayzer]

I don't know about the other sites, but Prime Singles seems to be in decline. Some days only 3 or 4 members are online, many appear to be unpaid members or have not used the site for at least 2 months. I've certainly seen a difference in activity over the last year. I'm wondering if the site is advertised at all, or if anything is being done to attract new members - especially males!