PRTIMES.JP – Pairs, a Japanese dating app with 25M total registrations, is expanding to South Korea as part of its Asian rollout. Korean and Japanese users will remain on separate networks. The app has been localized with Korean-specific matching questions and supports local ID verification.
Category: Pairs
South Korea’s Fall in Marriages Is an Opportunity, Says Match Group’s Asia CEO
FORTUNE – South Korea's marriages fell by 40% over the last decade, with only 222,400 marriages recorded in 2024, down from 322,807 in 2013. Fertility rates also dropped to 0.75 children per woman. Match Group sees this demographic crisis as an opportunity, launching a Korea-specific version of its Pairs app focused on serious relationships. In Japan, Pairs already accounts for an estimated 10% of marriages. Despite a 6% decline in Asia revenue to $284M in 2024, Match reports a 9% increase in paying users in the region, reaching one million. Beyond South Korea, Match is targeting India next, where acceptance of love marriages is growing rapidly.
Pairs Has Expanded to South Korea
25% of Young Couples in Japan Meet Through Dating Apps
JAPAN TIMES – Dating apps in Japan are increasingly popular among Gen Z, with a government survey showing 25% of couples under 40 who married recently met online. Platforms like Pairs and Tinder are adapting to Gen Z preferences, emphasizing shared interests through features like "My Tags" and "Real-Mind-Matching." While apps expand options for niche hobbies and traits, users often prioritize physical attributes like height or appearance, leading to a "grass is greener" mentality. Despite the challenges, dating apps remain a significant way for young people to meet in a society with fewer traditional social opportunities.
The Business of Love: Match Group on “Under the Radar”
OPW – On Under the Radar by Money Matters, host Chua Tian Tian interviewed Malgosia Green, CEO of Match Group Asia, about the company's strategy. In Japan, Match Group's Pairs accounts for 1 in 10 marriages with 20M users. The discussion touched on Match Group's Q3 income of $211M and its exit from live-streaming services like Hakuna. Green shared insights into Pairs' success and its potential to replicate the model in other Asian markets.
Japanese Dating App Pairs Introduces My Number Card IC Chip Verification to Boost User Security
PR TIMES – The dating app Pairs has introduced online identity verification using the IC chip embedded in Japan's My Number card. Pairs users can now verify their identity through a seamless, in-app process that reads the IC chip of the My Number card, without requiring photo uploads of documents or selfies. Pairs emphasizes that while it uses certain personal data like birthdate and gender, it does not store or use the individual's My Number.
Match Group Q1 Results: Revenue up 9%, Tinder Payers Down 9%, Hinge Revenue up 50%
MATCH GROUP – In the Q1, Match Group revenue grew 9% YOY to $860M. Tinder direct revenue increased 9% YOY to $481M. However Tinder payers declined 9% YOY to just under 10M, due to the continuing effects of last year's price optimizations and MAU declines. Tinder payers were down ~255K on a sequential basis. Subscription revenue grew 17% YOY while à la carte revenue, which comprises ~20% of Tinder's direct Revenue, fell 13% YOY primarily due to MAU declines and lower purchase volumes per user. Hinge direct revenue grew 50% YOY to $124M, driven by a 31% increase in payers to 1.4M. Hinge continued to resonate with users in English-speaking and Western European markets, with total downloads across all markets growing 20% YOY in Q1. Match Group Asia businesses' revenue declined 6% YOY to $71M. Direct revenue growth at Azar was more than offset by continued declines at Pairs and Hakuna. Q1 Operating Income was $185M, down 7% YOY.
Marriage-Centered Dating Apps Rise in Japan
by Hilary Keyes
See full article at Savvy Tokyo
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Match to Post Q2 Earnings: What’s in Store?
YAHOO FINANCE – Match reports on Aug 1 and expects Q2 revenues of $805-$815 million. Zacks Consensus Estimate is $814m, indicating 2.4% growth year over year. Match Q2 performance is likely to have benefited from continued momentum at Tinder and solid performance of Hinge, Pairs and OkCupid.
- In the first quarter, the number of total payers increased 10% to 16.4 million from the prior-year quarter. Match Group is persistently investing for the improvement of machine learning tools that can efficiently and proactively identify, prevent and eliminate spam.
- The launch of Archer should boost users.
- In Q1, Match Group introduced a new feature called 72 hours which promotes more meaningful connections with a time-sensitive experience.
- The acquisitions video tech company, Hyperconnect and non-dating app Ablo might aid international revenue. Hyperconnect continues to build momentum.
- Hinge rolled out features which address questions around sexuality and features answers from leading LGBTQIA+ voices. This is likely to have attracted subscribers.
See full article at Yahoo Finance
Mark Brooks: I wonder how Match Groups' experiments with high-end value points, i.e. $500 a month, will play out? That move will certainly inspire and impact the industry. I believe we are leaving money (value) on the table. People want more. We need to find new ways to give it to them.
Match Group Reports Q1 2023 Results
MATCH GROUP – The Q1 '23 results showed a 1% YOY decrease in total revenue at $787M due to a 3% decline in payers, partially offset by a 2% increase in revenue per payer (RPP). On a foreign exchange neutral (FXN) basis, the total revenue was up 3% YOY at $822M. Tinder's direct revenue was flat YOY at $441M, while Hinge's direct revenue grew 27% YOY. Match Group Asia's direct revenue declined 13% YOY. Evergreen & Emerging (Match.com, Meetic, OurTime & Pairs, BLK, and Chispa) direct revenue was down 8% YOY. Q1 operating income was $198M, down 5% YOY, while Q1 adjusted operating income was $263M, down 4% YOY. Tinder's new weekly subscription packages and pricing optimizations are expected to increase revenue as 2023 progresses. Tinder is also focusing on improving women's user experience by providing relevancy, realness, and respect. They are testing Just for You, curated profiles, and adding interactive profile elements to provide a richer and more engaging user experience. Hinge is seeing exceptional momentum in Europe, with plans to launch more targeted marketing efforts in Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands in Q2.