Plenty of Fish Hosts World's Largest Virtual Speed Dating Event

Dating App Unites Singles via Livestreaming - Nearly 2M Matches Made Since March

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Sep 16, 2020, 08:00 ET

VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As singles continue to explore new ways to date, video dating has increased in popularity. Plenty of Fish is partnering with The Meet Group, Inc. to host the world's largest virtual speed dating event on September 20 from 8 p.m. - 11 p.m. EDT. The event, which is free for Plenty of Fish members through the Live! feature, provides singles with the unique opportunity to connect with others worldwide.

"As one of the first dating apps to bring livestreaming to our members, we've continued to see enthusiasm for distance dating – 75% of singles report that they are more comfortable video chatting with a match than before the pandemic," said Plenty of Fish CEO Malgosia Green. "We're committed to finding alternative ways for our members to date while social distancing – hosting the world's largest speed date is just one example of our continued focus on livestreaming."

The livestreaming feature continues to be a big draw for Plenty of Fish members – since late March almost 2 million matches have been made via livestreaming. Additionally:

Over 5.5M Plenty of Fish members have used the feature since launch
Over a quarter-million Plenty of Fish members use the feature daily
50% of Plenty of Fish livestreaming users are Gen-Z and millennials*

To participate in the world's largest virtual speed dating event, tap the "Live!" icon within the Plenty of Fish app on September 20 at 8 p.m. EDT. Like in-person speed dating, the event will allow streamers 90 seconds to live video chat with potential matches from around the world and move the conversation to one-on-one video.

Members across the globe are invited to join the event:

New York - September 20 at 8 p.m. EST
Rio de Janeiro - September 20 at 9 p.m. GMT-3
Hong Kong - September 21 at 8 a.m. GMT+8
Tokyo - September 21 at 9 a.m. GMT +9
Sydney - September 21 at 10 a.m. GMT +10

According to Guinness World Records, the largest known speed dating event occurred on February 14, 2019 in Dublin, Ireland and drew 964 people, Plenty of Fish anticipates twice as many people will participate in its event.

"The pandemic has forever changed the nature of dating, tilting it toward video," said Geoff Cook, CEO of The Meet Group. "With 1.2 million broadcasters and 8.9 million viewers per month across The Meet Group's platforms including Plenty of Fish, our livestreaming solutions are changing the nature of dating apps, adding an element of social entertainment while providing meaningful connection and an antidote to loneliness. We are thrilled to partner with Plenty of Fish to host the world's largest speed dating event."

Following the world's largest speed date event Plenty of Fish and The Meet Group will each donate $10,000 for a total of $20,000 to Feeding America® in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Every dollar donated is used to supply food and funding to local food banks across the country.
*Daily active Plenty of Fish users

About Plenty of Fish

Plenty of Fish, a Match Group (NASDAQ: MTCH) company, is one of the largest global online dating companies, and is available in 11 languages and more than 20 countries. Unlike many dating offerings today, Plenty of Fish offers a less prescriptive, low-pressure user experience that allows singles to discover what they're looking for. For more information, visit www.pof.com

About The Meet Group

The Meet Group owns and operates the most engaging dating communities in the world, spanning 5 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.

SOURCE Plenty of Fish