TECH CRUNCH - Match Group believes that the recent Apple-Epic Games antitrust appeals ruling may result in fee relief for developers on the App Store. Match Group's President and CFO, Gary Swidler, pointed to various battles Apple has been facing, including the recent antitrust investigation in the U.K. and the E.U.'s Digital Markets Act, which will impact App Store fees. Swidler suggested that Apple would have to decide whether it wanted to rethink its policies on a global basis or continue to set specific rules for each region. Match expects to see some sort of decision related to these questions over the next 12 months.
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Match Says It's 'Very Possible' Apple-Epic Ruling Could Result in App Store Fee Relief
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Google Tests New Play Store Ad Slot
TECH CRUNCH - Google is testing a new advertising slot on the Play Store. The new ad slot, similar to one Apple introduced two years ago, appears when Android users access the Play Store's search menu. While the slot previously contained personalized app suggestions, it now includes labeled ads. The tests have been observed in several global markets, indicating a broader testing phase. Google's move could boost its revenue from Play Store ads, especially considering recent concessions on Play Store commissions due to regulatory pressures. Although Google has not disclosed the size of its Play Store Ads business, it's expected to be substantial, given the platform's estimated revenue of $48B in 2021.
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Tinder's Verification Process Will Now Use AI and Video Selfies
TECH CRUNCH - Tinder is rolling out an AI-powered update to its Photo Verification feature. In the past, users would take pictures of themselves, posing as instructed, to become verified and receive a blue check. Now, Tinder is requiring a video selfie instead of photos. Plus, it will soon allow users to restrict their chats to only those members who are also Verified. Tinder says it's working with a third-party partner to manage the video selfie verification process, rather than running it in-house, but declined to name the vendor.
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Tinder Introduces Relationship Types and Pronouns to Attract Gen Z Users
TECH CRUNCH - Tinder is introducing new features, including a Relationship Types feature borrowed from Hinge that allows users to indicate the type of relationship they are seeking, such as ethical non-monogamy or open relationships. Tinder has made this change as 41% of Gen Z users are either open to or actively seeking non-monogamous relationships. Additionally, members can now display their pronouns on their profiles, with over 15 options available. These updates are aimed at attracting Gen Z users to fuel growth, as Tinder has been struggling to attract new users following the lift of COVID lockdowns.
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Epic and Match's Antitrust Case Against Google Heads to Jury Trial
TECH CRUNCH - A date has been set for a trial by jury in a significant antitrust case against Google involving its alleged abuses of power in the Android app market. Fortnite maker Epic Games and Match Group have accused Google of unfairly leveraging its market dominance and harming competition through its Google Play Store terms and practices. The case will now proceed to a jury trial on Nov 6, 2023. Epic Games sued Apple and Google in 2020 when it introduced a direct payment option in Fortnite to its iOS and Android apps, prompting Apple and Google to boot the mobile game from their app stores. Match Group had also sued Google over its Play Store practices, accusing Google of charging developers "exorbitant fees." Google shot back, saying Match just wants to get out of paying for the services it provides the company as part of its platform.
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The App Economy Slowed for the First Time in 2022
TECH CRUNCH - An annual review by data.ai (previously App Annie) found that consumer spending on mobile apps declined for the first time in 2022 after seeing 19% YOY growth the year prior. The report said that consumer spending dropped by 2% in 2022, reaching $167B. Meanwhile, downloads grew by 11% YOY to 255B. Non-game apps have proven to be more resilient in a down economy, data.ai found. In 2022, spending on games dropped 5% to $110B, while spending on non-game apps increased 6% to $58B, driven by streaming subscriptions, dating apps, and short-form video apps. Video and dating apps continue to pull in the most revenue, with Tinder and Disney+ still highly ranked, behind TikTok.
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Facebook to Test Age Verification Tech on Facebook Dating
TECH CRUNCH - Facebook Dating will now serve as the testing grounds for further experimentation with new age verification technologies, including video selfies and ID uploads. The company will expand its partnership with online age verification provider Yoti to verify the ages of Facebook Dating users when it suspects they've lied about their real age. When Facebook's AI detects someone who may be under the age of 18 trying to use Facebook dating, it will send them a prompt to verify their age.
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Google Play to Pilot Third-party Billing in New Markets
TECH CRUNCH - Google is expanding its user choice billing pilot, which allows Android app developers to use other payment systems besides Google's own. The program will now become available to new markets, including the U.S., Brazil and South Africa, and Bumble will now join Spotify as one of the pilot testers. Google additionally announced Spotify will now begin rolling out its implementation of the program starting this week. Developers interested in adopting user choice billing have to follow certain UX guidelines set by Google that detail how to implement the feature in their apps. While the general terms offer a 4% reduction in commissions paid to Google when user choice billing is used, Spotify wouldn't comment on its confidential deal with Google, but notes it meets the company's standards of fairness. It's unclear if the streamer has been offered more favorable terms as an early adopter.
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Bumble Is Testing Speed Dating
TECH CRUNCH - Bumble has been quietly testing a speed dating feature in the U.K., which allows users to join the app on a designated night and time to engage in brief chats with other members before they've seen their photo or matched. If the date goes well, the members can choose to match to keep the conversation going. Bumble has been offering speed dating on Thursdays at 7 PM in the U.K. However, according to some posts by users on social media, the service didn't always have enough users to get the game started. Others who tried it had positive things to say about the experience, however.
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9count, Maker of Wink and Dating App Summer, Raises $27.5M
TECH CRUNCH - Alex Hofmann once served as Musical.ly's president, overseeing the North and South American markets for the TikTok precursor, then leaving shortly after the app exited to Chinese tech giant ByteDance in 2017. He launched 9count, the maker of the popular friend-finder Wink, mobile dating app Summer (previously Spark), and others. 9count is raising $27.5M in new funding which is an extension of 9count's earlier Series A and includes only its existing investors. 9count's backers were impressed with the metrics coming out of Summer, which launched as Spark back in May but later rebranded. The dating app targets a younger demographic, ages 18 and up. But unlike traditional swipe-based dating apps, Summer shows many users at once - an experience meant to more closely mimic the way it feels to walk into a crowded space in real life. Summer has ~300K monthly active users and 500K downloads. Hofmann claims it's the fastest-growing dating app to hit the market since Bumble arrived in 2014. The video chat app Wink has 2M monthly active users, remaining 9count's largest app to date. In total, 9count's app portfolio now reaches ~10M users.
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Bumble Revamps "Bumble BFF"
TECH CRUNCH - Bumble revealed plans to strengthen its social networking features during last week's Q2 earnings to attract a new audience beyond just young singles. Bumble BFF's new offering, called Hive, may include features like group chat, polls and video calls. Bumble briefly referenced its plans for Hive on its Q2 2022 earnings call with investors, noting Hive was a "next-generation offering" focused on helping people find "platonic connections through small communities." In addition to Bumble BFF's Hive, the company is working on new astrology features, product enhancements for LGBTQIA+ users, tests of "messaging before match" features, audio and video features, and other monetization products.
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Tinder to Kill Virtual Currency, Management Changes
TECH CRUNCH - Match Group announced a series of changes to Tinder's management team alongside the announcement of disappointing Q2 earnings. Notably, Tinder CEO Renate Nyborg will be departing the company after less than a year in the top job. Match Group is also killing Tinder's plans to adopt new technology, like virtual currencies and metaverse-based dating. Alongside the departure of Nyborg, Tinder will have a reorganized management team that also includes:
- Faye Iosotaluno, formerly Match Group's chief strategy officer, as Tinder's COO
- Mark van Ryswyk, as Tinder's chief product officer.
- Melissa Hobley, formerly OkCupid's CMO, as Tinder's CMO.
- Tom Jacques, as Tinder's chief technology officer.
- Advisor Amarnath Thombre. The current CEO of Match Group Americas and 15-year Match Group veteran will advise the Tinder management team on product roadmap and growth.
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Google Files Counterclaim to Match's Antitrust Lawsuit
TECH CRUNCH - The two tech giants have been battling it out in court after Match sued Google this May over its alleged monopoly power in Android app payments. Match is claiming Google has too much control over the Google Play app marketplace and uses anti-competitive tactics to maintain its hold on that ecosystem. Epic Games is also suing both Apple and Google. The companies largely want to offer their own in-app payment systems to avoid the commissions that come with having their apps distributed through the Google Play store and App Store. Now, Google has filed its counterclaim in this ongoing lawsuit, where it argues that Match is misleading the court in saying Google only provides payment processing fees and that Match Group seeks to access the global distribution platform for free. Plus, Google argues that its 15% fee for Match Group subscriptions is "half the amount" other major platforms charge - a reference to Apple, but misleading since both platforms reduce commissions from 30% to 15% in an app's second year.
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Gen Z Social App Yubo Rolls out Age Estimating' Technology
TECH CRUNCH - Yubo, a social livestreaming app popular with Gen Zs, is adopting a new age verification technique that uses live image capture technology to identify minors using its app, in order to keep them separated from adult users. Founded in 2015, Yubo users hang out in livestreaming rooms where they can socialize, play games and make new friends. The company today has seen 60M sign-ups, which is up from the 40M it reported in 2020 when it closed on its $47.5M Series C funding round; 99% of them are Gen Z users, ages 13 to 25. Yubo is seeing increasing revenue via its à la carte premium features and subscriptions, which grew from €7M in 2019 to now €25M as of last year.
by Sarah Perez
See full article at Tech Crunch
This post also appears on Very Social Network
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Match Names Zynga President Bernard Kim as CEO, Replacing Shar Dubey
TECH CRUNCH - Just over two years after assuming the top exec position, Match CEO and 16-year employee Shar Dubey is stepping down. Shar Dubey will remain on the company's board and continue to serve as an advisor. Bernard Kim, the current president of Zynga, will become CEO effective May 31 and will join Match's board of directors. Kim has been president of Zynga since 2016 and has overseen a number of key functions, including global marketing, user acquisition, revenue, consumer insights, data science, product management, mergers and acquisitions, and communications.
by Sarah Perez
See full article at Tech Crunch
Mark Brooks: Mr Bernard Kim's experience in gaming is no doubt indicative of where Match will go next. A more gamified, engaging, and immersive Internet dating experience. Match must get AI/VR right, for what I think will be the next big critical media shift.
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