Latest news with #GameGame
Mint
08-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Tinder parent Match cuts 13% of workforce, forecasts revenue above estimates
May 8 (Reuters) - Match Group on Thursday forecast second-quarter revenue above Wall Street estimates and said it would reduce 13% of its workforce to cut costs, as the Tinder parent plows ahead with its business revamp plan. The layoffs are the first major structural change at Match since new CEO Spencer Rascoff took the helm in February and was tasked with tackling a slowdown in user engagement. The online dating industry has hit a rough patch as persistent inflation and a lack of innovative features prompted consumers to move away from dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble. In response, Match and Bumble have been refining their applications and introducing artificial intelligence features such as AI-enabled discovery to make it easier for users to improve their dating outcomes. Match, which also owns dating apps Hinge and OkCupid, has introduced features such as "double date" and Game Game, which was a voice-based experience that allowed users to practice flirting with an AI date, to better cater to Gen-Z audiences. The double-date feature, which allows users to team up with a friend and match with other pairs, is resonating with its younger audience, with 90% double-date profiles from users under 29, CEO Rascoff said. Its revenue per paid user increased to $19.07 from $18.87 a year ago. For the second quarter, the company forecast revenue between $850 and $860 million, above analysts' average estimates of $846.7 million, according to data compiled by LSEG. Match is also testing new features to boost its security and verification programs and has seen a more than 15% reduction in bad actor reports. For the quarter ended March 31, the company's revenue declined by 3% to $831 million, beating estimates of $827.5 million. Rival Bumble on Wednesday reported a more than 7% fall in first-quarter revenue, but met market estimates. (Reporting by Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)
CNBC
08-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Tinder parent Match cuts 13% of workforce, forecasts revenue above estimates
Match Group on Thursday forecast second-quarter revenue above Wall Street estimates and said it would reduce 13% of its workforce to cut costs, as the Tinder parent plows ahead with its business revamp plan. Shares of the Dallas, Texas-based company rose 2.7% in premarket trading. The layoffs are the first major structural change at Match since new CEO Spencer Rascoff took the helm in February and was tasked with tackling a slowdown in user engagement. The online dating industry has hit a rough patch as persistent inflation and a lack of innovative features prompted consumers to move away from dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble. In response, Match and Bumble have been refining their applications and introducing artificial intelligence features such as AI-enabled discovery to make it easier for users to improve their dating outcomes. Match, which also owns dating apps Hinge and OkCupid, has introduced features such as "double date" and Game Game, which was a voice-based experience that allowed users to practice flirting with an AI date, to better cater to Gen-Z audiences. The double-date feature, which allows users to team up with a friend and match with other pairs, is resonating with its younger audience, with 90% double-date profiles from users under 29, CEO Rascoff said. Its revenue per paid user increased to $19.07 from $18.87 a year ago. For the second quarter, the company forecast revenue between $850 and $860 million, above analysts' average estimates of $846.7 million, according to data compiled by LSEG. Match is also testing new features to boost its security and verification programs and has seen a more than 15% reduction in bad actor reports. For the quarter ended March 31, the company's revenue declined by 3% to $831 million, beating estimates of $827.5 million. Rival Bumble on Wednesday reported a more than 7% fall in first-quarter revenue, but met market estimates.
The Star
08-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Tinder parent Match cuts 13% of workforce, forecasts revenue above estimates
FILE PHOTO: The dating app Tinder is shown on a mobile phone in this picture illustration taken September 1, 2020. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro/Illustration/File Photo (Reuters) - Match Group on Thursday forecast second-quarter revenue above Wall Street estimates and said it would reduce 13% of its workforce to cut costs, as the Tinder parent plows ahead with its business revamp plan. The layoffs are the first major structural change at Match since new CEO Spencer Rascoff took the helm in February and was tasked with tackling a slowdown in user engagement. The online dating industry has hit a rough patch as persistent inflation and a lack of innovative features prompted consumers to move away from dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble. In response, Match and Bumble have been refining their applications and introducing artificial intelligence features such as AI-enabled discovery to make it easier for users to improve their dating outcomes. Match, which also owns dating apps Hinge and OkCupid, has introduced features such as "double date" and Game Game, which was a voice-based experience that allowed users to practice flirting with an AI date, to better cater to Gen-Z audiences. The double-date feature, which allows users to team up with a friend and match with other pairs, is resonating with its younger audience, with 90% double-date profiles from users under 29, CEO Rascoff said. Its revenue per paid user increased to $19.07 from $18.87 a year ago. For the second quarter, the company forecast revenue between $850 and $860 million, above analysts' average estimates of $846.7 million, according to data compiled by LSEG. Match is also testing new features to boost its security and verification programs and has seen a more than 15% reduction in bad actor reports. For the quarter ended March 31, the company's revenue declined by 3% to $831 million, beating estimates of $827.5 million. Rival Bumble on Wednesday reported a more than 7% fall in first-quarter revenue, but met market estimates. (Reporting by Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tinder parent Match cuts 13% of workforce, forecasts revenue above estimates
(Reuters) - Match Group on Thursday forecast second-quarter revenue above Wall Street estimates and said it would reduce 13% of its workforce to cut costs, as the Tinder parent plows ahead with its business revamp plan. The layoffs are the first major structural change at Match since new CEO Spencer Rascoff took the helm in February and was tasked with tackling a slowdown in user engagement. The online dating industry has hit a rough patch as persistent inflation and a lack of innovative features prompted consumers to move away from dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble. In response, Match and Bumble have been refining their applications and introducing artificial intelligence features such as AI-enabled discovery to make it easier for users to improve their dating outcomes. Match, which also owns dating apps Hinge and OkCupid, has introduced features such as "double date" and Game Game, which was a voice-based experience that allowed users to practice flirting with an AI date, to better cater to Gen-Z audiences. The double-date feature, which allows users to team up with a friend and match with other pairs, is resonating with its younger audience, with 90% double-date profiles from users under 29, CEO Rascoff said. Its revenue per paid user increased to $19.07 from $18.87 a year ago. For the second quarter, the company forecast revenue between $850 and $860 million, above analysts' average estimates of $846.7 million, according to data compiled by LSEG. Match is also testing new features to boost its security and verification programs and has seen a more than 15% reduction in bad actor reports. For the quarter ended March 31, the company's revenue declined by 3% to $831 million, beating estimates of $827.5 million. Rival Bumble on Wednesday reported a more than 7% fall in first-quarter revenue, but met market estimates. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Express Tribune
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Tinder's AI flirting feature draws mixed reactions as users test pick-up lines on chatbots
Tinder's latest feature, The Game Game, is turning heads—and raising concerns—across the internet. Launched on April 1, the new tool allows users to practice flirting with an AI-powered chatbot, marking a new step in the fusion of technology and dating culture. Powered by OpenAI's GPT-40 model, The Game Game invites users to select from a variety of flirty scenarios—like meeting someone at an airport baggage claim—before attempting to win over an AI date. Based on their performance, players receive a rating using Tinder's signature flame icons. But not everyone is loving the idea. Social media lit up with reactions, ranging from curiosity to outright rejection. One X user wrote, 'AI needs to be stopped.' Another added, 'We've had enough with the AI, put it down!' We've had enough with the AI, put it down! — steven ☀️ (@arianaunext) April 2, 2025 Others approached the feature with cautious interest. 'So you're telling me there's an AI out there that rates how smooth I am? I'm intrigued,' a user posted. Another commented, 'So now it will be AI responses even when flirting?' so you're telling me there's an AI out there that rates how smooth i am? i'm intrigued 😏 — ʚɞ (@holigirll) April 2, 2025 so now it will be ai responses even when flirting? — 🅱️ (@FaKeSmlL3) April 2, 2025 Humor was also on display in many of the reactions. 'Tinder's 'game' just leveled up—time to unleash my inner Chad,' one joked. Another quipped, 'It's time to get that top score or delete the game and pretend I never tried.' One user even compared the experience to using spreadsheets, writing, 'So, Tinder's added an AI to rate my flirting? Guess I'll need to create a VLOOKUP to find the perfect match. My dating life is now officially an Excel spreadsheet.' Tinder's "game" just leveled up - time to unleash my inner Chad 😈 — skrptd (@iamskrptd) April 2, 2025 Despite the memes and mixed reviews, Tinder says the goal isn't to replace real-life connection. Relationship expert Devyn Simone clarified at the launch event that 'the Game Game is intentionally over the top—a low-stakes, playful experience that feels more like improv than a guide to perfect flirting.' She added, 'The AI rewards curiosity and warmth, listening, asking follow-up questions. It's not about being slick or having the best line, it's about being human.' Simone also noted that the feature is 'not designed to replace human conversations,' but rather to 'encourage real conversations with real people in real life.' A Tinder spokesperson echoed this sentiment in a follow-up email, emphasizing that users shouldn't take the game too seriously and that time limits were built in to prevent it from interfering with actual dating. Tinder isn't alone in the AI-dating game. Other platforms like Grindr and Hinge are also developing chatbot-based features, and third-party services like WingAI and Rizz offer AI-generated flirtation support for users looking to improve their game. Still, as one user summed it up, 'Practice flirting with AI bots to get you in the mood for flirting with the AI bots on the app. Everybody on the app is already a bot.' practice flirting with ai bots to get you in the mood for flirting with the ai bots on the app everybody on the app is already a bot 🤣 — Baby Blue (@0xpers3phern) April 1, 2025 Whether The Game Game becomes a staple of digital courtship or another novelty destined for the app graveyard, one thing is clear—AI is changing the way people connect, one swipe at a time.
