Match

Match Group LLC stock got a boost in early October, thanks to the success of Tinder Gold. The new premium app was among the top apps in the Apple Store, not just among dating apps, but alongside Netflix and Pandora. Match shares were up 3.6% Wednesday October 11, and the stock has jumped more than 50% since the start of the year.

But one question on investors’ minds is: what should we expect from Match Group’s other dating apps?

Match Group owns four of the five most popular dating sites, including Match, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish and Tinder, along with several niche dating sites. The problem for investors despite the good news is that these older sites have gotten less attention in Match Group’s overall valuation, because they aren’t generating the users or attention that Tinder does on an ongoing basis, despite their longevity in the online dating market.

In a move that may prove we’ve reached peak Millennial, Vice is debuting a new Snapchat dating show sponsored by Match and hosted by Action Bronson. Take a moment to let all those buzzy words and brands set in.

The weekly, 8-episode show is called Hungry Hearts and features couples going on dates that are designed by Bronson himself. Over the course of the mini-series, the chef-turned-rapper will flex his matchmaker muscles as he curates dates, provides play-by-play commentary on each outing, and predicts whether the would-be lovebirds will get to a second date.

Hungry Hearts is not Bronson’s first show for Vice. His indulgent web series for Munchies - F*ck, That's Delicious - is a bonafide hit that moved to Viceland and will be printing a cookbook based on recipes from the show. It should come as no surprise to fans that his dates for Hungry Hearts will also feature plenty of delicious eats.

How Match Stories Works

One of the oldest players in the online dating industry is betting on the next big thing since swiping. Match plans to launch a new video feature for its dating app this summer.

Match is still a brand name, and it retains a large database of users (though its demographic skews a little older – the company captures a large portion of daters thirty-five and older, many of them divorced and getting back into dating). But Match is looking to broaden its horizons, and the dating game along with it, by focusing on video for product development, according to a report by Mashable.

The video feature, dubbed Match Stories, varies a bit from the old-school video dating services and other video dating apps that haven’t quite taken off. Instead of stilted introductions from users who aren't used to being in front of a camera, Match Stories allows its customers to be a bit more creative. They can incorporate video and images into a 60-second “story,” and use the voiceover tool to explain to potential dates what they are seeing.

See how Bucket List works

We’re headed into summer, and online dating company Match conducted a survey to assess how many singles feel more adventurous this time of year. The results are in – 85% said that a potential date’s sense of adventure was an attractive quality, and 76% said they’d like to try something new in the coming months.

In fact, the results were overwhelmingly clear – singles crave a sense of adventure. Seventy-three percent said they would actually be more attracted to someone if they had a bucket list item in common, and 66% of singles said they would likely check off one of their bucket list items on a date.

Because of this, Match decided to create a new feature on their dating app called ‘Bucket List’ to highlight potential dates’ sense of adventure.

Have you met someone over your favorite dating app and questioned their honesty? Chances are, if you’re an active online dater you have, and you’re not alone. Many daters are distrustful of other daters, and can’t tolerate even a small “white lie” – whether it’s fudging your weight, age or income, according to a new study by dating site Match.

This is because many of us aren’t exactly honest with our dates. In fact, Match’s annual Singles in America study surveyed over 5,000 daters in the U.S. across a range of ages, ethnicities, and regions to determine how much (and what type) of small lies they would tolerate on a first date before turning down a second date.

Match found the majority of daters – 57% - claim they do not tell white lies while they’re dating. Moreover, two thirds of daters believe any small fib is unacceptable. In fact, your chances of getting a second date or having sex aren’t made better by lying, so the consensus among singles is: just don’t do it.

Match.com Chatbot Laura

In Her, Spike Jonze's 2013 romantic science fiction film, a man falls in love with an intelligent computer operating system voiced by Scarlett Johansson. The concept is futuristic, but feels increasingly less so by the day. With the introduction of Lara, a new Facebook chatbot from Match.com, the reality of Her is closer than ever.

Lara is designed to help singletons navigate the tricky world of dating in the digital age. Via the Facebook Messenger app, the bot uses contextual understanding and speech recognition to provide advice and guidance.

"Throughout a casual conversation, Lara will ask for some personal details, including age, location and sexual preference before inviting users to set up a Match account, all without leaving Messenger," explained Match.com in a press release.