NEW HOPE, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Meet Group, Inc., a leading provider of interactive dating solutions, and Spectrum Labs, a leading AI-based content moderation platform,today announced an expansion of their partnership to include a significant R&D commitment into voice moderation aimed at protecting users from online toxicity, hate speech and abuse in The Meet Group’s livestreaming products.

“Social, Dating, and Gaming companies are leaning into livestreaming video to drive community engagement,” said Justin Davis, CEO, Spectrum Labs. “With that shift comes a growing demand for effective moderation for voice. With a billion minutes spent in its livestreaming platform per month and nearly 200,000 hours of content broadcast per day, The Meet Group is a fantastic partner to work with in deploying Spectrum Labs’ toxic voice detection and moderation platform to deliver best in class user safety controls for their moderation team and consumers alike.”

“User safety is fundamental to what we do and effective moderation of livestreaming video requires effective moderation of all aspects of the stream, including voice, text chat, and video,” said Geoff Cook, CEO of The Meet Group and co-CEO ParshipMeet Group. “The combination of Spectrum Labs’ technology and moderation solutions with our leading safety standards and processes create what we believe is a model that others in the livestreaming video industry may look to follow.”

Voice moderation is currently a challenge as recording all content is not privacy-friendly in an ephemeral livestreaming video context and existing methods of AI voice moderation are onerous and cost-prohibitive as they require voice content to be transcribed before the text AI can be applied. The Meet Group and Spectrum Labs are partnering to record content at the right time and proactively and cost-effectively detect toxicity, improve accuracy for moderators, and expand safety measures for users.

The voice tracking will begin recording from two different triggers. The first trigger occurs when, upon a report button being tapped, the tool will begin recording the voice track and will send it for analysis. The second trigger will begin voice recording automatically based on the comments in the video. If an issue is believed to exist in the video based on the comments in the chat, the live stream will proactively be reported. If a content violation is believed to exist, the recording, along with the behavior flag and a transcription, as well as the live stream itself, if still in progress, will be sent to one of The Meet Group’s 500+ human moderators who will review the content under the company’s strict Content and Conduct policy to see if a policy was violated.

The expanded partnership announced today also includes algorithmic moderation of all chats sent within The Meet Group’s livestreaming solution and AI private chat moderation.

The algorithmic chat moderation which will be available to The Meet Group apps as well as the company’s expanding list of vPaaS partners will be screening the nearly 15 million daily chats within the livestreaming feature for hate speech, sexual harassment and other code of conduct violations. In addition, private chats will also begin to be screened as part of the company’s ongoing focus on reducing online toxicity.

“The work of keeping our community safe online is never over, and we are proud to work with Spectrum Labs, a trailblazer in AI-based content moderation,” added Cook.

To learn more about how the AI-chat moderation works and The Meet Group’s other industry-leading safety initiatives, please visit The Meet Group’s website.

About The Meet Group

The Meet Group owns and operates the most engaging dating communities in the world, including MeetMe, Skout, Tagged, and GROWLr. Serving millions of daters daily, each month, our livestreaming solutions entice our community to spend 1 billion minutes in video. Our network size, technology, and leading moderation and talent teams enable us to partner for and acquire new audiences, including through video platform-as-service products. The Meet Group, Inc. is a subsidiary of ParshipMeet Group, a diversified international market leader in online dating, which also owns and operates leading matchmaking brands eharmony, Parship, and ElitePartner. For more information, visit themeetgroup.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

About Spectrum Labs

Safe online communities are profitable ones; our AI-based Trust & Safety platform identifies 40+ toxic behaviors across all languages enabling Trust & Safety teams to reduce content moderation efforts by 50% and increase detection by 10x. Spectrum Labs’ mission is to use the power of data and community to rebuild trust in the Internet, making it a safer and more valuable place for all. For more, go to spectrumlabsai.com.

Contacts

Press Contact for The Meet Group
Kim Plyler
kim@sahlcomm.com

Press Contact for Spectrum Labs
SpectrumLabs@archetype.co

ZDNet discusses the expanded partnership between The Meet Group and Spectrum Labs and the new applications of algorithmic content moderation across lives teams and private chats.

Read the article: https://www.zdnet.com/article/new-ai-tools-aim-to-improve-live-stream-content-moderation/

NEW HOPE, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ParshipMeet Group, a leading provider of interactive dating solutions, today announced that it has enabled the launch of livestreaming video on Spark Networks’ Zoosk app through its vPaaS (video Platform as a Service) solution.

“Video is table stakes for social and dating apps, and our video Platform as a Service (vPaaS) product is among the fastest and most effective way to bring that capability to our partners,” said Geoff Cook, CEO The Meet Group and GM Video ParshipMeet Group. “We’re pleased to have pioneered and then delivered a robust livestreaming and creator economy capability for the Zoosk app. Zoosk is one of the most important dating properties on the planet. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work closely with Eric and his team to engage the Zoosk community in new ways while driving a new line of revenue.”

Eric Eichmann, Spark Networks CEO, says: “We’re delighted to have launched vPaaS on the Zoosk app as Zoosk Live!. The addition of livestreaming video means our users now have even more ways to find meaningful relationships via Zoosk. We’re thrilled to see singles already engaging with each other via the service and look forward to seeing the creative connections it will inspire.”

“In addition to the video technology, our vPaaS solution delivers integrated talent management, user density, best-of-class moderation, and ongoing research-and-development in one easy-to-integrate package,” continued Cook. “Further, by enabling the Creators already present in the Zoosk community, vPaaS is capable of driving significant profitable revenue from virtual gifting to streamers, while also growing engagement within the Zoosk community, enabling a 3-dimensional dating experience beyond text chats and photos.”

ParshipMeet’s vPaaS solution powers Live video for some of the world’s largest livestreaming video dating apps.

About ParshipMeet Group

ParshipMeet Group is an international market leader in online dating. With its uniquely diverse business approach, the company covers the whole spectrum of the online dating market, ranging from social dating with a strong entertainment component based on live video streaming, to serious matchmaking. ParshipMeet Group’s brand portfolio consists of internationally successful and established brands with complementary strengths. Social dating and entertainment apps MeetMe, Skout, Tagged, GROWLr, and LOVOO focus on social connections, entertainment, and community. Matchmaking services such as eharmony or European-based Parship use scientific methods to help people find their partner for a compatible, happy long-term relationship. Headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, the company currently employs a workforce of more than 1,100 in eight offices worldwide. www.parshipmeet.com

About Spark Networks SE:

Spark Networks SE is America’s third largest public dating company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange American under the ticker symbol “LOV,” with headquarters in Berlin, Germany, and offices in New York and Utah. The Company’s widening portfolio of premium and freemium dating apps include Zoosk, EliteSingles, Christian Mingle, Jdate, JSwipe, SilverSingles and eDarling, among others. Spark Networks SE in its current form is the result of the merger between Affinitas GmbH and Spark Networks, Inc. in 2017 and the addition of Zoosk, Inc. in 2019. Spark Networks has approximately one million monthly paying subscribers globally. For more information, visit spark.net or follow Spark on LinkedIn.

Contacts

Press Contact for The Meet Group
Kim Plyler
kim@sahlcomm.com

NEW HOPE, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Meet Group, Inc., a leading provider of interactive dating solutions, announced the launch of DateNight, a livestreaming game which makes anyone the star of their own dating game, on its popular Tagged app. DateNight is the first-ever livestreaming dating game that offers rewards to anyone who plays. The game provides daters using its popular NextDate and BlindDate features who match during a DateNight event the opportunity to receive a free $10 gift card to one of 18 different national chain restaurants to give daters a well deserved “dating stimulus” this summer. DateNight events will occur over the next month on Thursdays and Sundays from 9:00 – 11:00 p.m. EDT starting June 17 and ending on July 31, 2021, but this program may be extended longer.

“Last year, we introduced NextDate and BlindDate to the Tagged community as a way for our members to date safely through video and have fun,” said Geoff Cook, Chief Executive Officer of The Meet Group and GM Video ParshipMeet Group. “Over the last year, our members have struggled with mental health and financial worries due to COVID-19. With vaccination rates high in the US and COVID-restrictions lifting, 84% of Tagged members say they plan to go on a date in the next 30 days. We hope this dating stimulus will help our Tagged members enjoy their summer dates even a little more with the first drink on us.”

“This is the best time to be single in recent history. A global pandemic has only strengthened the desire for millions to discover love and actually enjoy dating,” said Charreah K. Jackson, Tagged’s Connection Specialist. “There’s no place like the Tagged community, and it’s the perfect spot to meet someone new for a first date. DateNight provides the extra motivation and fun for singles to head out for more dates in person – and let Tagged cover the first drinks.”

Given the increased focus on health and safety in this time of COVID-19, The Meet Group’s Safer Dating Advisory Board continues to advise the Company and its community, providing the latest in health and safety guidelines. Beyond viral safety, The Meet Group offers enhanced physical safety to all its daters through an industry-leading relationship with UrSafe, a first-of-its-kind mobile personal safety app and next-generation global security company.

DateNight is available on the Company’s Tagged app starting June 17 through July 31 for members in the United States.

About The Meet Group, Inc.:
The Meet Group owns and operates the most engaging dating communities in the world, including MeetMe, Skout, Tagged, and GROWLr. Serving millions of daters daily, each month, our livestreaming solutions entice our community to spend more than 1 billion minutes in video. Our network size, technology, and leading moderation and talent teams enable us to partner for and acquire new audiences, including through video platform-as-service products. The Meet Group, Inc. is a subsidiary of ParshipMeet Group, a diversified international market leader in online dating, which also owns and operates leading matchmaking brands eharmony, Parship, and ElitePartner. For more information, visit themeetgroup.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

About Charreah K. Jackson, Tagged’s Connection Specialist:
Charreah K. Jackson (@Charreah), named as a “Black Relationship Guru to Follow” by BET, spearheads community engagement for Tagged, leveraging her decade-long experience as a global relationship expert. She is the bestselling author of Boss Bride: The Powerful Woman’s Playbook for Love & Success, which was chosen by Redbook magazine as one the 15 best motivational books for women. Charreah previously served as ESSENCE Senior Editor where she worked for a decade empowering millions, and has traveled the world as a leading voice in dating and relationships, speaking at events from Amsterdam to South Africa to her hometown of Atlanta.

Contacts

Press for The Meet Group
Kim Plyler
kim@sahlcomm.com

Company’s video Platform as a Service solution empowers partners to deliver robust, enhanced user experience through Live video

NEW HOPE, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– ParshipMeet Group, a leading provider of interactive dating solutions, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to provide livestreaming video to MocoSpace, a social gaming and chat app through its Live video Platform as a Service (vPaaS) product. ParshipMeet’s vPaaS solution powers Live video for some of the world’s largest livestreaming video dating apps.

“Our vPaaS livestreaming video solution deepens community, increases engagement, and drives monetization for our partners’ properties,” said Geoff Cook, Chief Executive Officer of The Meet Group and GM Video of ParshipMeet Group. “We power two of the largest publicly traded dating companies with live video and we are pleased to add MocoSpace as a vPaaS customer at a time when Live video usage and the need for people to connect has never been greater.”

“It is so exciting to be able to offer the MocoSpace community the best-in-class livestreaming solution,” said Justin Siegel, Chief Executive Officer of MocoSpace. “I look forward to working closely together with the ParshipMeet Group to make this a massive success.”

“Live video is both the right product for today and the solution for the future, enabling a rich and robust experience beyond what text and chat alone can offer,” continued Cook. “It can improve user engagement, lift retention, and generate meaningful revenue. By delivering an all-in-one video platform — including talent management, best-in-class moderation capabilities, and pre-existing user density — our turnkey vPaaS solution can provide these benefits to companies dramatically faster and more cheaply than attempting to build a solution from the ground up.”

Having first partnered with one of the largest dating app companies in the world, The Meet Group has successfully grown its vPaaS customer base, attracting companies and apps in and beyond the dating space.

“Livestreaming video on our apps elevated to unprecedented highs during the past year as people looked for new ways to date and connect,” added Cook. “It’s an exciting time for live video and social app users everywhere.”

About ParshipMeet Group

ParshipMeet Group is an international market leader in online dating. With its uniquely diverse business approach, the company covers the whole spectrum of the online dating market, ranging from social dating with a strong entertainment component based on live video streaming, to serious matchmaking. ParshipMeet Group’s brand portfolio consists of internationally successful and established brands with complementary strengths. Social dating and entertainment apps MeetMe, Skout, Tagged, GROWLr, and LOVOO focus on social connections, entertainment, and community. Matchmaking services such as eharmony or European-based Parship use scientific methods to help people find their partner for a compatible, happy long-term relationship. Headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, the company currently employs a workforce of more than 1,100 in eight offices worldwide. www.parshipmeet.com

About MocoSpace

MocoSpace is the largest mobile chat and gaming community in North America, with over 100 million registered users. Every day, our loyal users spend over one million hours on the site. MocoSpace is the mobile community of choice for meeting new people, having fun, playing games, and staying connected. MocoSpace is free and available on our Android and iOS apps or any mobile browser. Founded in 2005, Boston-based MocoSpace was twice named to Inc. Magazine’s list of fastest-growing companies and is backed by General Catalyst and Softbank Capital. For more information, visit www.mocospace.com.

Follow MocoSpace on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mocospace

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210525005563/en/

Press Contact for The Meet Group
kim@sahlcomm.com

Press Contact at MocoSpace:
Office: 617.542.1614
info@corp.mocospace.com

Source: The Meet Group

NEW HOPE, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– ParshipMeet Group, a leading provider of interactive dating solutions, today announced that it has partnered with TikTok, an immersive, entertaining platform that enables everyone to connect with diverse communities and express their creativity using an array of in-app creative tools. Using TikTok’s new Login Kit, members of ParshipMeet Group’s popular MeetMe app will be able to add their most recent TikTok videos to their profiles in a new TikTok Carousel, showcasing their personalities in a richer way than a profile picture.

TikTok Carousel in MeetMe Profile (Photo: Business Wire)

“Our partnership with TikTok furthers our mission to foster real and meaningful connections for our members,” said Geoff Cook, Chief Executive Officer of The Meet Group and GM Video of ParshipMeet Group. “Long a home for creative self-expression, TikTok nurtures authentic, entertaining content and the diversity of experiences and communities through the shared language of video. Through MeetMe’s member profiles, livestreaming video, and now the TikTok Carousel, we offer even more ways for members to truly express themselves and connect with others.

“The global pandemic has brought our human need for connection and community to the forefront, making clear the need for a richer dating experience. Members across our video community spend over 1 billion minutes per month engaging in livestreaming video. We are excited to bring TikTok’s authentic content to the MeetMe community,” continued Cook.

“As TikTok becomes increasingly ingrained in culture, more third-party apps across a variety of categories and use cases are looking to tap into our community on their own platforms,” said Isaac Bess, Global Head of Distribution Partnerships at TikTok. “Through the Login Kit for TikTok, we’re providing seamless integration solutions that help developers expand their reach, increase exposure for creators, and empower our community to showcase their content on other platforms.”

ParshipMeet Group expects to add additional integrations with TikTok in the future.

About ParshipMeet Group

ParshipMeet Group is an international market leader in online dating. With its uniquely diverse business approach, the company covers the whole spectrum of the online dating market, ranging from social dating with a strong entertainment component based on live video streaming, to serious matchmaking. ParshipMeet Group’s brand portfolio consists of internationally successful and established brands with complementary strengths. Social dating and entertainment apps MeetMe, Skout, Tagged, GROWLr, and LOVOO focus on social connections, entertainment, and community. Matchmaking services such as eharmony or European-based Parship use scientific methods to help people find their partner for a compatible, happy long-term relationship. Headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, the company currently employs a workforce of more than 1,100 in eight offices worldwide. www.parshipmeet.com

About TikTok:

TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok has global offices including Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210506005895/en/

The Meet Group, Inc.
Media: Kim Plyler
kim@sahlcomm.com

Source: The Meet Group

NEW HOPE, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The Meet Group, a leading provider of interactive dating solutions, has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2021 honor by Philadelphia Inquirer’s Top Workplaces. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage LLC. The anonymous survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization, including alignment, execution, and connection, to name a few.

“During this very challenging time, Top Workplaces has proven to be a beacon of light for organizations, as well as a sign of resiliency and strong business performance,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO.” When you give your employees a voice, you come together to navigate challenges and shape your path forward. Top Workplaces draw on real-time insights into what works best for their organization, so they can make informed decisions that have a positive impact on their people and their business.”

“We are honored to be named a Top Workplace by the Philadelphia Inquirer,” said Geoff Cook, Chief Executive Officer of The Meet Group. “Having a positive and productive work environment focused on open and honest communication and teamwork motivates our team, boosts morale, and leads to socialization, collaboration, and ideation. I am proud to work with the most talented people in the industry as we continue to grow our team and mobile apps.”

Though The Meet Group has been remote for over a year because of the pandemic, the company has remained committed to providing an enjoyable work experience through team-building exercises and virtual events including health and wellness challenges, daily yoga classes, virtual escape rooms, and more. The Meet Group strives to create the best workplace environment both in and outside the office.

For more information on The Meet Group’s commitment to providing the very best work environment, benefits, and perks, as well as available positions, visit https://www.themeetgroup.com/careers/.

About The Meet Group

The Meet Group owns and operates the most engaging dating communities in the world, spanning five apps including MeetMe, Skout, Tagged, LOVOO and GROWLr. Serving millions of daters daily, our community sends 70 million chats per day. Each month, our livestreaming solutions entice our community to spend more than 1 billion minutes in video. Our network size, technology, and leading moderation and talent teams enable us to partner for and acquire new audiences, including through video platform-as-service products. The Meet Group, Inc. is a subsidiary of ParshipMeet Group, a diversified international market leader in online dating, which also owns and operates leading matchmaking brands eharmony, Parship, and ElitePartner. For more information, visit themeetgroup.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

About Energage

Making the world a better place to work together.™

Energage is a purpose-driven company that helps organizations turn employee feedback into useful business intelligence and credible employer recognition through Top Workplaces. Built on 14 years of culture research and the results from 23 million employees surveyed across more than 70,000 organizations, Energage delivers the most accurate competitive benchmark available. With access to a unique combination of patented analytic tools and expert guidance, Energage customers lead the competition with an engaged workforce and an opportunity to gain recognition for their people-first approach to culture. For more information or to nominate your organization, visit energage.com or topworkplaces.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210412005289/en/

The Meet Group, Inc.
Media Contact: Kim Plyer
kim@sahlcomm.com
https://www.themeetgroup.com/

Source: The Meet Group

NEW HOPE, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The Meet Group, Inc., a leading provider of interactive dating solutions, announced that Geoff Cook will be speaking at Safety Tech 2021: Unleashing the Potential for a Safer Internet on March 24, 2021.

Cook will participate in the “Brand Protection Through User Safety” panel, which will delve into how technology is helping leading brands worldwide protect their online communities and brands from harm. The panel will be moderated by Tiffany Xingyu Wang, GM and Co-founder of the Oasis Consortium and other panelists include leaders from LEGO Group, Dentsu, and IAB. Cook is one of the founding advisory board members of the Oasis Consortium, an organization committed to creating a global consensus on brand and user safety standards and ending online toxicity.

“The Meet Group is committed to leading in mobile and online safety and I welcome the opportunity to participate in this safety panel,” said Geoff Cook, Chief Executive Officer of The Meet Group and GM Video ParshipMeet Group. “We continue to take measurable steps to strengthen safety across our apps. Recently, we collaborated with Spectrum Labs, a leading AI-based content moderation platform, to provide real-time validation of display names in our applications, reducing moderator actions by 50% for that abuse type. We strive to set the industry standard, leveraging the newest and best technologies to make our dating applications a place where millions can connect, meet, and date safely.”

The Meet Group continues to strive to push the industry forward through various safety initiatives and partnerships and remains committed to high standards, adopting industry-leading practices and constantly improving with the best-in-class safety updates across its portfolio of dating apps.

About The Meet Group

The Meet Group owns and operates the most engaging dating communities in the world, spanning five apps including MeetMe, Skout, Tagged, LOVOO and GROWLr. Serving millions of daters daily, our community sends 70 million chats per day. Each month, our livestreaming solutions entice our community to spend more than 1 billion minutes in video. Our network size, technology, and leading moderation and talent teams enable us to partner for and acquire new audiences, including through video platform-as-service products. The Meet Group, Inc. is a subsidiary of ParshipMeet Group, a diversified international market leader in online dating, which also owns and operates leading matchmaking brands eharmony, Parship, and ElitePartner. For more information, visit themeetgroup.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210323005369/en/

The Meet Group, Inc.
Media Contact: Kim Plyler
kim@sahlcomm.com

Source: The Meet Group

NEW HOPE, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The Meet Group, Inc., a leading provider of interactive dating solutions, announced that on Tuesday, March 23, beginning at 1:30 p.m. (EDT), its Safer Dating Advisory Board members will be participating as panelists in a public webinar hosted by The Meet Group: Dare to Date: The COVID Vaccine and Dating Safety to answer daters’ questions about the COVID-19 vaccine and what it means for daters. The Safer Dating Advisory Board, along with The Meet Group’s SVP Marketing, Catherine Connelly, will discuss the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine, dating in person, and best practices to reduce the risk of transmission. Award-winning matchmaker and host of the Ask a Matchmaker Podcast, Maria Avgitidis, will be the special guest moderator for the event.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210318005255/en/

Dare to Date: The COVID Vaccine and Dating Safety Webinar will be held on March 23 at 1:30 pm EDT. (Graphic: Business Wire)

The Meet Group’s Safer Dating Advisory Board, formed in July 2020, is comprised of top epidemiologists and health experts, including Dr. Anirrudha Hazra, an internal medicine and infectious diseases physician certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Dr. Tali Elfassy, an epidemiologist and Research Assistant Professor of Epidemiology in the Department of Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and Dr. Melissa Sharp, an epidemiologist and postdoctoral fellow at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

The Safer Dating Advisory Board provides consultation on dating products, including the launch of the in-app COVID Dating Preference feature, safer dating guidance, including dating tips offered to members of The Meet Group’s dating apps, and has helped shape the company’s response to the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus. As a leader in dating safety, The Meet Group continues to strive to set the industry standard, leveraging the most innovative technologies to make its dating applications a place where millions can safely connect, meet, and date.

While geared toward online daters and members of The Meet Group’s portfolio of dating apps, the free webinar will be open to the public. More details, as well as how to register, can be found on The Meet Group’s blog.

For more information about the Safer Dating Advisory Board and its board members, please visit https://www.themeetgroup.com/safety-meet-group/#datingboard.

About The Meet Group

The Meet Group owns and operates the most engaging dating communities in the world, spanning five apps including MeetMe, Skout, Tagged, LOVOO and GROWLr. Serving millions of daters daily, our community sends 70 million chats per day. Each month, our livestreaming solutions entice our community to spend more than 1 billion minutes in video. Our network size, technology, and leading moderation and talent teams enable us to partner for and acquire new audiences, including through video platform-as-service products. The Meet Group, Inc. is a subsidiary of ParshipMeet Group, a diversified international market leader in online dating, which also owns and operates leading matchmaking brands eharmony, Parship, and ElitePartner. For more information, visit themeetgroup.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210318005255/en/

The Meet Group, Inc.
Media Contact: Kim Plyler
kim@sahlcomm.com

Source: The Meet Group

Petty Adds Additional Consumer Protection and Privacy, Corporate Development, and International Expertise as Company Continues to Expand its Products, Grow its Business and Improve Safety in Dating and Social Media

NEW HOPE, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The Meet Group, a leading provider of interactive dating solutions, today announced the appointment of Norman Petty as General Counsel, effective March 15, 2021. In this role, Petty will lead the Company’s legal team while overseeing its world-class Trust and Safety organization charged with maintaining the safety and security of the Company’s millions of daily active users. Petty will report to Geoff Cook, Chief Executive Officer of The Meet Group.

Petty joins The Meet Group from Dow Jones & Company, where he most recently served as Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel and where he was the lead lawyer for Dow Jones’ consumer division, which comprises brands such as The Wall Street Journal and Barron’s Magazine, for over 20 years. Before that, he was a lawyer in Philadelphia at the law firms of Reed Smith and then Morgan Lewis.

“Norman’s proven success at Dow Jones & Company makes him a great addition to The Meet Group team,” said Geoff Cook, CEO The Meet Group. “His extensive legal, corporate development, and consumer protection and privacy experience will be instrumental as we continue to grow our interactive dating solutions business and bring our video platform as a service product to more providers, all while delivering on our mission to meet the need for human connection.”

Petty will play a key business role in helping The Meet Group maintain the momentum of recent years while providing counsel on key legal and safety matters and vPaaS opportunities. Petty also brings extensive experience in international markets, particularly in the APAC and EMEA regions.

“I am delighted to join The Meet Group at this exciting phase of the company’s growth,” said Petty. “In addition to its social discovery and online dating apps, I’ve been impressed by The Meet Group’s leadership in developing industry-leading safety practices and best-in-class safety features for its apps. I look forward to helping build upon the Company’s success.”

About The Meet Group

The Meet Group owns and operates the most engaging dating communities in the world, spanning five apps including MeetMe, Skout, Tagged, LOVOO and GROWLr. Serving millions of daters daily, our community sends 70 million chats per day. Each month, our livestreaming solutions entice our community to spend more than 1 billion minutes in video. Our network size, technology, and leading moderation and talent teams enable us to partner for and acquire new audiences, including through video platform-as-service products. The Meet Group, Inc. is a subsidiary of ParshipMeet Group, a diversified international market leader in online dating, which also owns and operates leading matchmaking brands eharmony, Parship, and ElitePartner. For more information, visit themeetgroup.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210317005221/en/

The Meet Group, Inc.
Media Contact: Kim Plyler
kim@sahlcomm.com

Source: The Meet Group

NEW HOPE, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Meet Group, Inc., a leading provider of interactive dating solutions, is pleased to announce its partnership with RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network), the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization.

Through its corporate partnership, The Meet Group will be joining forces with the leading authority on sexual violence, supporting RAINN in its efforts to build safer communities, educate the public, improve public policy, provide assistance to survivors, and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice. In addition, Catherine Connelly, SVP of Marketing and Co-founder of The Meet Group, will join RAINN’s National Leadership Council.

“At The Meet Group, we pride ourselves on our commitment to mobile and online dating safety, and we are proud to announce our partnership with RAINN. Keeping our members safe is core to our mission of meeting the universal need for human connection, and we believe that through this partnership we can help drive meaningful progress in the fight against harassment, sexual assault, violence, and more,” said Connelly.

Last year, The Meet Group announced its partnerships with the Online Dating Association, the wePROTECT Global Alliance, ConnectSafely, personal safety app, UrSafe, and Microsoft on Project Artemis. The dating app company also actively collaborates with industry partners, peers, NGOs, and law enforcement. The Meet Group is committed to high standards of safety, adopting industry-leading practices, and constantly implementing the best-in-class safety updates across its portfolio of dating apps.

About The Meet Group

The Meet Group owns and operates the most engaging dating communities in the world, spanning five apps including MeetMe, Skout, Tagged, LOVOO and GROWLr. Serving millions of daters daily, our community sends 70 million chats per day. Each month, our livestreaming solutions entice our community to spend more than 1 billion minutes in video. Our network size, technology, and leading moderation and talent teams enable us to partner for and acquire new audiences, including through video platform-as-service products. The Meet Group, Inc. is a subsidiary of ParshipMeet Group, a diversified international market leader in online dating, which also owns and operates leading matchmaking brands eharmony, Parship, and ElitePartner. For more information, visit themeetgroup.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

About RAINN

RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization. RAINN created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE (4673) or online.rainn.org). RAINN also carries out programs to prevent sexual violence, educate the public, ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice, and help companies and organizations improve the way they prevent and respond to sexual violence.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005190/en/

The Meet Group, Inc.
Media Contact: Kim Plyler
kim@sahlcomm.com

Source: The Meet Group

Attributes 178% Revenue Growth to Livestreaming Solutions and Innovative Product Features

NEW HOPE, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
The Meet Group, Inc., a leading provider of interactive dating solutions, today announced it secured a place on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500™, a ranking of the 500 fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and energy tech companies in North America now in its 26th year. Rankings are based on three-year revenue growth. The Meet Group grew 178% during this period.

Geoff Cook, The Meet Group’s Chief Executive Officer, credits the company’s livestreaming solutions and innovative products with the company’s 178% revenue growth. He said, “We are proud to be recognized as a Fast 500 winner by Deloitte for the eighth time. Across our portfolio, our members send over 70 million chats per day and our community spends more than a billion minutes per month engaging in live video. Finding connection has never been more important than in this time of pandemic, and we are leveraging video as a way for our members to stay connected, find love, and build community. By accelerating growth across our portfolio of dating apps through innovating our livestreaming solution, we are helping forge relationships for millions of people seeking love and connection.”

“For more than 25 years, we’ve been honoring companies that define the cutting edge and this year’s Technology Fast 500 list is proof positive that technology — from software and digital media platforms, to biotech — truly does permeate so many facets of our lives,” said Paul Silverglate, vice chairman, Deloitte LLP and U.S. technology sector leader. “We congratulate this year’s winners, especially during a time when innovation is needed more than ever to address the monumental challenges posed by the pandemic.”

“Each year the Technology Fast 500 listing validates how important technology innovation is to our daily lives. It was interesting to see this year that while software companies continued to dominate, biotech companies rose to the top of the winners list for the first time, demonstrating that new categories of innovation are accelerating in the pursuit of making life easier, safer and more productive,” said Mohana Dissanayake, partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP, and industry leader for technology, media and telecommunications, within Deloitte’s audit and assurance practice. “We extend sincere congratulations to these well-deserved winners — who all embody a spirit of curiosity, and a never-ending commitment to making technology advancements possible.”

About Deloitte’s 2020 Technology Fast 500™

Now in its 26th year, Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 provides a ranking of the fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and energy tech companies — both public and private — in North America. Technology Fast 500 award winners are selected based on percentage fiscal year revenue growth from 2016 to 2019.

In order to be eligible for Technology Fast 500 recognition, companies must own proprietary intellectual property or technology that is sold to customers in products that contribute to a majority of the company’s operating revenues. Companies must have base-year operating revenues of at least $US50,000, and current-year operating revenues of at least $US5million. Additionally, companies must be in business for a minimum of four years and be headquartered within North America.

About The Meet Group

The Meet Group owns and operates the most engaging dating communities in the world, spanning five apps including MeetMe, Skout, Tagged, LOVOO and GROWLr. Serving millions of daters daily, our community sends 70 million chats per day. Each month, our livestreaming solutions entice our community to spend more than a billion minutes in video. Our network size, technology, and leading moderation and talent teams enable us to partner for and acquire new audiences, including through video platform-as-service products. The Meet Group, Inc. is a subsidiary of ParshipMeet Group, a diversified international market leader in online dating, which also owns and operates leading matchmaking brands eharmony, Parship, and ElitePartner. For more information, visit themeetgroup.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

About Deloitte

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee (“DTTL”), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as “Deloitte Global”) does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the “Deloitte” name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201118005628/en/

The Meet Group, Inc.
Media Contact: Catherine Connelly
press@themeetgroup.com

Source: The Meet Group

To Provide Consultation on Safety, Privacy, and Security Issues Related to Technology

NEW HOPE, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–

The Meet Group, Inc., a leading provider of interactive dating solutions, announced it is collaborating with ConnectSafely, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating technology users about safety, privacy, and security.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201008005285/en/

“We’re proud to be joining forces with ConnectSafely, an organization we have known for many years as a leader in creating a safer and better internet,” said Geoff Cook, Chief Executive Officer of The Meet Group. “Educating our members about how to date safely is core to our safety initiatives. Earlier this year we introduced a safety education pledge requirement, released safer dating tips for dating in a pandemic with our Safer Dating Advisory Board of epidemiologists and infectious disease experts, and shared full-screen reminders of our content standards to streamers before they go live.”

“ConnectSafely is pleased to be helping The Meet Group assure that people who use its services are doing so as safely as possible,” said Larry Magid, Chief Executive Officer of ConnectSafely. “There is a long history of people successfully finding partners through online dating and the vast majority have done so safely. But, as with all online activities, there are risks that can be avoided by knowing how to protect your privacy, security and personal safety while enjoying the many benefits of online dating. User education, along with best practices by dating services are the keys to safer use of dating services like the ones operated by The Meet Group.”

A leader in promoting online safety, The Meet Group collaborates actively with industry partners, peers, NGOs, and law enforcement. Earlier this year, The Meet Group announced it is collaborating with several online safety and dating organizations, including the Online Dating Association, the wePROTECT Global Alliance, personal safety app UrSafe, and Microsoft on Project Artemis. The Meet Group’s collaboration with ConnectSafely will allow for a stronger focus on educating daters about the safest way to date online.

About The Meet Group

The Meet Group owns and operates the most engaging dating communities in the world, spanning five apps including MeetMe, Skout, Tagged, LOVOO and GROWLr. Serving millions of daters daily, our community sends 70 million chats per day. Each month, our livestreaming solutions entice our community to spend 1.1 billion minutes in video. Our network size, technology, and leading moderation and talent teams enable us to partner for and acquire new audiences, including through video platform-as-service products. The Meet Group, Inc. is a subsidiary of ParshipMeet Group, a diversified international market leader in online dating, which also owns and operates leading matchmaking brands eharmony, Parship, and ElitePartner. For more information, visit themeetgroup.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

About ConnectSafely

ConnectSafely.org is a Silicon Valley, California-based nonprofit organization dedicated to educating users of connected technology about safety, privacy and security. Resources include research-based safety tips for technology users of all ages as well as information aimed at parents and teachers. ConnectSafely publishes guidebooks, tips and advice, news and commentary on all aspects of tech use and policy. The organization also produces webcasts, podcasts and a twice weekly 1-minute radio segment heard on CBS News Radio stations throughout the U.S.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201008005285/en/

The Meet Group, Inc.

Catherine Connelly
press@themeetgroup.com

ConnectSafely

press@connectsafely.org

Source: The Meet Group

AI-powered, human liveness, and 3D face verification sets new dating app standard for authenticity

NEW HOPE, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
The Meet Group, Inc., a leading provider of interactive dating solutions, has announced the beginning of a phased rollout of the first completely AI-powered face verification badge used in any major dating application. The verification badge, which leverages FaceTec’s 3D selfie technology, thwarts bots by requiring a human liveness check, ensuring the authenticity of millions of users. The verification badges are rolling out to MeetMe members this week and will roll out on Skout and Tagged in the coming months.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200921005229/en/

AI-powered, human liveness, and 3D face verification sets new dating app standard for authenticity (Photo: Business Wire)

The verification badge, which will be displayed on member profiles once activated, will be shown only after FaceTec’s AI software has confirmed that the user is physically present in front of the camera. Placed on the top right of a profile picture, the badge will signal to other members that the person has been verified, indicating authenticity. As badge adoption increases, it will become a prerequisite for certain activities like sending photos in chat. Additionally, FaceTec’s AI provides a 3D age estimation for each verified user, allowing the platform to flag potentially underage accounts, another tool to keep underage users off of its popular dating applications.

“At the beginning of this year, I set forth our commitment to safer dating in 2020, addressing key issues affecting dating apps everywhere: Authenticity, Age Estimation, Device Blocking, and Textual Screening,” said Geoff Cook, Chief Executive Officer of The Meet Group. “With the launch of the Profile Verification Badge on MeetMe, we are promoting authenticity with what we believe to be the most comprehensive verification solution in the dating industry. Currently, the verification badge indicates liveness, but as the feature is adopted, we will also begin comparing the profile photo to the 3D Selfie that was used to confirm Liveness. This proves that the person in the profile photos is the one posting them — helping to ensure authenticity and end catfishing.”

Profile verification is one of many safety initiatives The Meet Group has made this year as part of the company’s commitment to safer dating and continuous improvement. Other initiatives include teaming with URSafe so The Meet Group members can stay connected in an emergency, collaborating with Microsoft on Project Artemis which uses common textual patterns and an age detection engine to prevent child exploitation, the introduction of a Safer Dating Advisory Board of epidemiologists and infectious disease experts to provide advice aimed at reducing the risk of contagion while dating, and implementing DeviceCheck to block bad actors’ devices.

“As a leader in safer dating, we seek to set the industry standard, leveraging new technologies to make our applications the best place to meet and date,” continued Cook.

In addition to the safety initiatives made this year, The Meet Group ensures safety through maintaining strict content moderation standards, dedicating the majority of the company’s workforce to member safety, requiring safety education pledges from members, proactively monitoring all broadcasts, adopting prominent report abuse and strikes systems, and employing machine learning algorithms to detect abusive videos, photos, and text. To learn more about The Meet Group’s commitment to safety, please visit https://www.themeetgroup.com/safety-meet-group/

About The Meet Group

The Meet Group owns and operates the most engaging dating communities in the world, spanning five apps including MeetMe, Skout, Tagged, LOVOO and GROWLr. Serving millions of daters daily, our community sends 70 million chats per day. Each month, our livestreaming solutions entice our community to spend 1.1 billion minutes in video. Our network size, technology, and leading moderation and talent teams enable us to partner for and acquire new audiences, including through video platform-as-service products. The Meet Group, Inc. is a subsidiary of ParshipMeet Group, a diversified international market leader in online dating, which also owns and operates leading matchmaking brands eharmony, Parship, and ElitePartner. For more information, visit themeetgroup.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200921005229/en/

The Meet Group, Inc.

Brandyn Bissinger / bbissinger@themeetgroup.com

Jen Burns / jburns@themeetgroup.com

Source: The Meet Group, Inc.

Combined Company, ParshipMeet Group, Adds Industry-Leading Livestreaming Capabilities at a Time of Surging Global Demand for Video Dating

NEW HOPE, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
The Meet Group, Inc., a leading provider of interactive dating solutions, has announced the completion of its previously announced acquisition by the parent company of eharmony. In connection with the transaction, a new parent company, ParshipMeet Group, was created to manage two subsidiaries: The Meet Group and Parship Group. ParshipMeet Group now owns and operates The Meet Group’s dating apps MeetMe, LOVOO, Tagged, Skout, and GROWLr, as well as Parship Group’s matchmaking brands eharmony, Parship, and ElitePartner, creating a diversified international market leader in online dating.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200904005336/en/

The combined company brings together two leading dating businesses with complementary strengths and unique product offerings in their respective highly attractive market segments while broadening their international footprints. The Meet Group’s dating brands focus on community while bringing social entertainment to dating, monetizing largely through livestreaming video. Parship Group’s international brands constitute a market leader in the matchmaking space, focused on serious relationships and compatible connections, monetizing largely through subscription.

The all-cash transaction for $6.30 per fully diluted share represents an enterprise value of approximately $500 million.

“We are thrilled to combine with a globally leading matchmaking company,” said Geoff Cook, Chief Executive Officer of The Meet Group. “We believe this deal will help define the future of dating. We will continue to focus on the same three pillars which have contributed to our success: building the best dating features in the world for our engaged community, investing in livestreaming content and innovation, and discovering sensible opportunities to expand and grow – both organically and through strategic relationships, including our video-platform-as-a-service offering,” Cook said.

The Meet Group is one of the largest providers of livestreaming dating games in the world. Over 195,000 dating games are played each day across The Meet Group’s apps, an increase of 104% since the declaration of a global pandemic in March. During the same period, the total time spent on the Company’s livestreaming dating platform increased by 38% to 37.9 million minutes a day, with each participating member spending nearly 30 minutes a day on average either streaming or viewing.

“The Meet Group’s livestreaming video platform is unique and well positioned for a post-pandemic world where video becomes a critical part of finding and screening first dates,” said Tim Schiffers, CEO of ParshipMeet Group. “By combining The Meet Group’s assets with Parship Group’s strengths, we’ve created a global dating leader and one of the most diversified portfolios of dating brands in the world. We now combine large freemium dating services monetizing via video, in-app-purchases, and advertising with leading matchmaking brands in the world, monetizing via subscription. We see significant potential to further the growth of The Meet Group’s video platform-as-a-service products, as well opportunities for knowledge-sharing and cross-selling. We expect to continue our strong growth trajectory over the coming years and will continue to evaluate a range of options to support our growth initiatives.”

ParshipMeet Group is jointly owned by ProSiebenSat.1, a leading free-to-air TV broadcaster and video entertainment company in the German-speaking markets and one of the most diversified media companies in Europe, and General Atlantic, a leading global growth equity firm providing capital and strategic support for growth companies.

ParshipMeet Group

ParshipMeet Group is an international market leader in online dating. With its uniquely diverse business approach, the company covers the whole spectrum of the online dating market, ranging from social dating with a strong entertainment component based on live video streaming, to serious matchmaking. ParshipMeet Group’s brand portfolio consists of internationally successful and established brands with complementary strengths. Social dating and entertainment apps MeetMe, Skout, Tagged, GROWLr, and LOVOO focus on social connections, entertainment, and community. Matchmaking services such as eharmony or European-based Parship use scientific methods to help people find their partner for a compatible, happy long-term relationship. Headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, the company currently employs a workforce of more than 1,100 in eight offices worldwide.

www.parshipmeet.com

The Meet Group

The Meet Group is a leading provider of interactive dating solutions designed to meet the universal need for human connection. Our ecosystem of livestreaming apps enables our global community to interact through one-to-many livestreaming broadcasts and text-based conversations. Our top apps, MeetMe®, LOVOO®, Skout®, Tagged® and GROWLr®, deliver live interactions and meaningful connections to millions of daters daily. Headquartered in New Hope, PA, we have offices in Philadelphia, Dresden, and Berlin. The Meet Group is committed to safety. You can find a description of current safety practices here: https://www.themeetgroup.com/safety-practices/. For more information, visit themeetgroup.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Parship Group

The Parship Group is a leading provider of online matchmaking services. The well-known international brands Parship, ElitePartner and eharmony belong to the group. All three services use scientific methods to successfully support singles in finding meaningful relationships that enrich their lives. Both Parship and eharmony are pioneers in using scientific methods to create highly compatible relationships. California-based eharmony was founded in 2000 and operates in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Parship invented scientific matchmaking in Europe in 2001 and today offers its service in the German-speaking world and the Benelux countries. Since 2004, ElitePartner is the premium partner agency for sophisticated singles, operating in the DACH-region. Currently, the Parship Group employs over 300 colleagues in Hamburg / Germany (headquarters), Los Angeles, London and Amsterdam. https://www.parshipgroup.com/

ProSiebenSat.1 Group

ProSiebenSat.1 combines leading entertainment brands with a successful production business and a strong commerce and online dating portfolio and is thus one of the most diversified media companies in Europe. We want to offer great entertainment – whenever, wherever and on any device. We can address over 45 million TV households in Germany, Austria and Switzerland with our 15 free and pay TV channels. At the same time, we reach around 36 million unique users every month with online offerings marketed by ProSiebenSat.1.

Successful formats like “The Masked Singer”, “Germany’s next Topmodel”, and “Beat the Channel” as well as top-notch stars like Heidi Klum, or Dwayne Johnson belong to our family. Shows like “Bosch”, “Married at First Sight”, or “Queen of Drags” are created within our production and distribution business Red Arrow Studios. Our global digital studio Studio71 achieves over 9.9 billion monthly video views and operates more than 1,400 web channels.

At the same time, we use our expertise in brand building for our commerce and online dating pillars: NuCom Group is a fast-growing e-commerce player with leading portfolio companies in the areas of consumer advice, experiences and beauty & lifestyle. With ParshipMeet Group, we have created a leading global platform in the online dating segment and have underlined our position as a strong growth partner for digital companies.

ProSiebenSat.1 are around 7,000 passionate creators that love to entertain and delight our viewers and consumers each day. https://www.prosiebensat1.com/

General Atlantic

General Atlantic is a leading global growth equity firm providing capital and strategic support for growth companies. Established in 1980, General Atlantic combines a collaborative global approach, sector specific expertise, a long-term investment horizon and a deep understanding of growth drivers to partner with great entrepreneurs and management teams to build exceptional businesses worldwide. General Atlantic has more than 150 investment professionals based in New York, Amsterdam, Beijing, Greenwich, Hong Kong, Jakarta, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Munich, Palo Alto, São Paulo, Shanghai, and Singapore. For more information on General Atlantic, please visit the website: www.generalatlantic.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200904005336/en/

Investor:

Leslie Arena / larena@themeetgroup.com

(267) 714-6418

Media:

Brandyn Bissinger / bbissinger@themeetgroup.com

(267) 446-7010

Source: The Meet Group

NEW HOPE, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
The Meet Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MEET), a leading provider of interactive dating solutions, today reported financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2020.

Second Quarter 2020 Highlights

• Total revenue of $90.3 million, up 74% from the second quarter of 2019.
• GAAP net income of $10.4 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, compared with GAAP net income of $2.2 million, or $0.03 per diluted share in the second quarter of 2019.
• Adjusted EBITDA of $20.8 million, compared with $9.8 million in the second quarter of 2019.
• Non-GAAP net income of $19.7 million, or $0.26 per diluted share, compared with $8.8 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2019.
• Transaction with ProSiebenSat.1’s and General Atlantic’s joint company NuCom Group expected to close in the second half of 2020.

(See the important discussion about the presentation of non-GAAP financial measures, and reconciliation to the most direct comparable GAAP financial measures, below.)

“We continue to expect to close our acquisition by ProSiebenSat.1 and General Atlantic by the end of this year,” said Geoff Cook, Chief Executive Officer of The Meet Group. “We have received antitrust clearance in the United States, Germany and Austria, and our stockholders have approved the transaction.”

Second Quarter Financial Results

For the second quarter of 2020, the Company reported revenue of $90.3 million, an increase of $38.3 million, or 74%, from $52.0 million in the second quarter of 2019. GAAP net income for the second quarter of 2020 was $10.4 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, compared with GAAP net income of $2.2 million, or $0.03 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2019. Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter of 2020 was $20.8 million, compared with $9.8 million in the second quarter of 2019. Non-GAAP net income for the second quarter of 2020 was $19.7 million, or $0.26 per diluted share, compared with $8.8 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2019.

The Company ended the quarter with $47.6 million in cash and cash equivalents.

Outlook and Conference Call

Due to the pending acquisition by ProSiebenSat.1’s and General Atlantic’s joint company NuCom Group, the Company does not plan to host an earnings conference call or provide forward-looking guidance.

About The Meet Group

The Meet Group (NASDAQ: MEET) is a leading provider of interactive dating solutions designed to meet the universal need for human connection. Our ecosystem of dating apps enables users around the world to interact through one-to-many livestreaming broadcasts and text-based conversations. Our top apps, MeetMe©, LOVOO©, Skout©, Tagged© and Growlr©, deliver live interactions and meaningful connections to millions of users daily. Headquartered in New Hope, PA, we have offices in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Dresden and Berlin. The Meet Group is committed to safety. You can find a description of current safety practices here: https://www.themeetgroup.com/safety-practices/. For more information, visit themeetgroup.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including whether we will close our transaction with ProSiebenSat.1 and General Atlantic as anticipated. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained herein are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “project,” “outlook,” “is likely,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements include the risk that our applications will not function easily or otherwise as anticipated, the risk that we will not launch additional features and upgrades as anticipated, the risk that unanticipated events affect the functionality of our applications with popular mobile operating systems, any changes in such operating systems that degrade our mobile applications’ functionality and other unexpected issues which could adversely affect usage on mobile devices. Further information on our risk factors is contained in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the SEC on March 12, 2020 and the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 filed with the SEC on May 6, 2020. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Regulation G – Non-GAAP Measures

The Company defines mobile traffic and engagement metrics (including MAU, DAU, chats per day, and new users per day) to include mobile app traffic for all properties and mobile web traffic for MeetMe, Skout and LOVOO. The Company defines a Video Daily Active User (vDAU) as a registered user of one of our platforms who has logged in and visited the Live feature, either as a broadcaster or viewer, on the day of measurement. The Company defines Average Daily Video Revenue per Video Daily Active User (vARPDAU) as the average daily video revenue per vDAU. The Company uses these user metrics for financial and operational decision-making and as a means to evaluate period-to-period comparisons. The Company presents user metrics because it believes them to be an important supplemental measure of performance that is commonly used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties in the evaluation of companies in its industry and because it believes that these metrics provide useful information to investors regarding the Company’s financial condition and results of operations. There is no directly comparable U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) measure to vARPDAU provided in the Company’s financial statements and therefore no reconciliation is provided.

The Company uses Adjusted EBITDA, Non-GAAP Net Income and Free Cash Flow, which are not calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, in evaluating its financial and operational decision making and as a means to evaluate period-to period comparison. The Company uses these non-GAAP financial measures for financial and operational decision-making and as a means to evaluate period-to-period comparisons. The Company presents these non-GAAP financial measures because it believes them to be an important supplemental measure of performance that is commonly used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties in the evaluation of companies in our industry. We refer you to the reconciliations above for these historical non-GAAP financial measures to their directly comparable GAAP financial measures.

The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA as net income or loss before interest expense, benefit from or provision for income taxes, depreciation and amortization expense, stock-based compensation expense, non-recurring acquisition, restructuring and other expenses, gain or loss on foreign currency transactions, gain or loss on sale or disposal of assets, provision for expected credit losses outside the normal range and goodwill and long-lived asset impairment charges. The Company excludes stock-based compensation expense because it is non-cash in nature. The Company defines Non-GAAP Net Income as net income or loss before benefit from or provision for income taxes, amortization on intangibles, non-recurring acquisition, restructuring and other expenses, goodwill and long-lived asset impairment charges and non-cash stock-based compensation expense. The Company defines Free Cash Flow as net cash provided by or used in its operating activities, minus purchases of property and equipment, as shown in the consolidated statements of cash flows.

Non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as an alternative to net income, operating income, cash flow from operating activities, as a measure of liquidity or any other financial measure. They may not be indicative of the historical operating results of the Company nor is it intended to be predictive of potential future results. Investors should not consider non-GAAP financial measures in isolation or as a substitute for performance measures calculated in accordance with GAAP.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200806005189/en/

Investor Contact:

Leslie Arena
larena@themeetgroup.com

267 714 6418

Media Contact:

Brandyn Bissinger
bbissinger@themeetgroup.com

267 446 7010

Source: The Meet Group, Inc.

NEW HOPE, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
The Meet Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MEET), a leading provider of interactive dating solutions, today announced that its second quarter 2020 financial results will be issued in a press release on Thursday, August 6, 2020, before the open of the market.

Due to the pending acquisition by ProsiebenSat.1 and General Atlantic, The Meet Group does not plan to host a conference call for its second quarter 2020 business results.

About The Meet Group

The Meet Group (NASDAQ: MEET) is a leading provider of interactive dating solutions designed to meet the universal need for human connection. Our ecosystem of dating apps enables users around the world to interact through one-to-many livestreaming broadcasts and text-based conversations. Our top apps, MeetMe®, LOVOO®, Skout®, Tagged® and Growlr®, deliver live interactions and meaningful connections to millions of users daily. Headquartered in New Hope, PA, we have offices in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Dresden, and Berlin. The Meet Group is committed to safety. You can find a description of current safety practices here: https://www.themeetgroup.com/safety-practices/. For more information, visit themeetgroup.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200730005102/en/

Investor:

Leslie Arena
larena@themeetgroup.com

267 714 6418

Media:

Brandyn Bissinger
bbissinger@themeetgroup.com

267 446 7010

Source: The Meet Group, Inc.

First-of-its-kind weekly dating game gives away up to $100,000+ worth of first dates

NEW HOPE, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
The Meet Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MEET), a leading provider of interactive dating solutions, announced the launch of DateNight, the Company’s latest interactive feature, which makes anyone the star of their own dating game. DateNight is the first-ever livestreaming dating game that offers rewards to virtually anyone who plays. The game provides daters of its popular NextDate and BlindDate games who match during a DateNight event the opportunity to receive a free $10 gift card to one of 18 different national chain restaurants, giving away up to $15,000 worth of first dates every day. DateNight events will occur on Thursdays from 9:00 – 11:00 p.m. EDT throughout July and August.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200728005124/en/

DateNight first-of-its-kind weekly dating game gives away up to $100,000+ worth of first dates (Photo: Business Wire)

The Meet Group is one of the largest providers of livestreaming dating games in the world. Over 185,000 dating games are played each day across The Meet Group’s apps, an increase of 95% since the declaration of a global pandemic in March. During the same period, the total time spent on the Company’s livestreaming dating platform increased by 39% to 1.4 million hours a day, with each livestreaming streamer or viewer spending on average more than 20 minutes a day.

“Based on the success of NextDate and BlindDate, we are pleased to launch our latest dating game experiment DateNight — leveraging video as a filter for in-person interaction and allowing anyone to be the star of their very own dating show,” said Geoff Cook, Chief Executive Officer of The Meet Group. “Dating apps have been evolving toward ever-increasing authenticity for years now. Nothing is more authentic than live video. At the start of the pandemic, video was a replacement for real-life interaction. Now, it is a filter to screen potential dates for connection and compatibility before ever meeting in person. Daters no longer have the risk appetite for meeting many different people in person based on a shallow interaction like swiping. They are increasingly demanding a video chat first, to prequalify potential dates. DateNight enhances that experience with the excitement of a virtual dating game with the promise of a face-to-face first date on us.”

Given that health and safety concerns in this time of COVID-19 are critically important, The Meet Group’s Safer Dating Advisory Board continues to advise the Company and its community, providing the latest in health and safety guidelines. Beyond viral safety, The Meet Group offers enhanced physical safety to all its daters through an industry-leading relationship with UrSafe. The 18 chains where gift cards may be redeemed were chosen for their outdoor seating and delivery options, and daters have a year to redeem their gift cards, offering flexibility in timing, so that they may date when they are ready. DateNight will only be held in states where the new case rate is less than 15 per 10,000 for three consecutive days. To limit frequent interactions, each person may redeem only one gift card per week. DateNight is currently available in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Maine, with more expected to follow each week of the summer as applicable.

“Both internal and external surveys show people are resuming their dating activity,” said Cook. “In fact, a recent external survey of 1,500 US daters revealed that 81% would be willing to go on an in-person date tomorrow if they met someone interesting on a dating app today. What’s more, 25% said they had dated in person in the last 30 days. The only relevant question is how to keep them safe and minimize risk.”

“I believe video dating can be an important filter prior to an in-person interaction in this age of pandemic,” said Dr. Tali Elfassy, an epidemiologist and Research Assistant Professor of Epidemiology in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “Beyond assessing appearance and personality, video also provides an opportunity to assess if your potential date has any obvious signs of illness, coughing or sneezing. It also provides a forum to ask important questions, like: do you live in a multi-generational household or have contact with people at higher risk of COVID illness, will you wear a mask, or do you take mass transit?”

DateNight is available on the Company’s MeetMe and Skout apps today.

About The Meet Group

The Meet Group (NASDAQ: MEET) is a leading provider of interactive dating solutions designed to meet the universal need for human connection. Our ecosystem of live-streaming apps enables daters around the world to interact through one-to-many livestreaming broadcasts and text-based conversations. Our top apps, MeetMe®, LOVOO®, Skout®, Tagged® and GROWLr®, deliver live interactions and meaningful connections to millions of people daily. Headquartered in New Hope, PA, we have offices in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Dresden, and Berlin. The Meet Group is committed to safety. You can find a description of current safety practices here: https://www.themeetgroup.com/safety-practices/. For more information, visit themeetgroup.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including whether the number of games played and time spent on our platforms will continue to increase, whether DateNight is the future of dating, whether daters will increasingly demand video chat to prequalify potential dates, whether our Safer Dating Advisory Board will continue to advise us and our users as anticipated, whether we will limit DateNight availability to states where the new case rate is less than 15 per 10,000 for three consecutive days as anticipated, whether we will make DateNight available in additional states as anticipated, and whether video dating will be an important filter prior to in-person interaction. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained herein are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “project,” “outlook,” “is likely,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements include the risk that our applications will not function easily or otherwise as anticipated, the risk that we will not launch additional features and upgrades as anticipated, the risk that unanticipated events affect the functionality of our applications with popular mobile operating systems, any changes in such operating systems that degrade our mobile applications’ functionality and other unexpected issues which could adversely affect usage on mobile devices. Further information on our risk factors is contained in our filings with the SEC, including the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the SEC on March 12, 2020 and the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 filed with the SEC on May 6, 2020. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200728005124/en/

Investors:

Leslie Arena / larena@themeetgroup.com

(267) 714-6418

Media:

Brandyn Bissinger / bbissinger@themeetgroup.com

(267) 446-7010

Source: The Meet Group, Inc.