DALLAS, May 10 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent Pew Internet & American Life Project study confirms that online dating expands the dating universe for unmarried people and is an effective way for them to maneuver the dating world. To help those who are new to online dating, Match.com introduces its free Starter Kit so that they can join the more than 200,000 people who find the person they are seeking on Match.com each year.

According to a recent Harris Interactive(R) Survey on behalf of Match.com, 72 percent of single people (2) have never used an online dating service. Match.com's Starter Kit takes the mystery out of these services by using targeted, interactive audio and visual guides to help people decide if online dating is right for them:

The Best You, The Best Way: This section provides honest advice for daters as they represent themselves and their personalities through their profile. Cracking the Soul Mate Search: Experts help take the mystery out of searching and reviewing potential matches while showing those new to online dating how to get the most from their matches. Connections That Count: This section instructs people how to e-mail potential dates in order to effectively forge connections and provides strategies for taking online relationships offline.

According to the Pew study, a majority of those actively seeking dates (55 percent) said it was difficult to meet people through the normal "dating scene" where they live. And according to the Harris Interactive survey, 39 percent of single people(2) who are not satisfied with their current dating life say it's because that there are not enough opportunities to meet other people.

"Match.com creates more possibilities for people to connect than any other method of meeting," said Kristin Kelly, senior director of public relations for Match.com. "Match.com's romantic connections result in more marriages per year than any other dating site. Our new Starter Kit helps those who have never tried online dating ease into it by teaching the secrets to success that have worked for millions of Match.com members."

The Match.com Online Dating Starter Kit is available free, for a limited time, only at http://www.match.com/ .

About Match.com

Match.com pioneered online personals when it launched on the Web in 1995 and continues to lead this exciting and evolving category after more than a decade. Throughout its 11-year history, Match.com has redefined the way people meet and fall in love and is credited with more marriages than any other site. Today, more than 15 million people around the world participate in the Match.com community, providing a rich tapestry of ethnicities, interests, goals, ambitions, quirks, looks and personalities from which to choose.

Match.com is the world's biggest online dating and personals property, according to the December 2005 global ranking of the Personals category by industry-leading independent measurement firm comScore Media Metrix. Number one across North America and Europe, Match.com operates leading subscription- based online dating sites in 32 countries, in 18 languages and spanning six continents. Match.com also powers online dating on MSN across Europe, Asia, the United States and Latin America and is the premier provider of personals for Love@AOL. Match.com is an operating business of IAC/InterActiveCorp .

Survey Methodology

Harris Interactive(R) conducted the online survey on behalf of Match.com between November 17 and 22, 2005 among a nationwide cross section of 1,350 U.S. adults age 18+ who are not currently married, not living with a partner; and are separated or widowed or divorced, or are single and have never been married. Figures for age, sex, race, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

(1) Results of an online survey conducted by Mullen and MarketTools in November 2005. (2) Single people are U.S. adults age 18+ who are not currently married, not living with a partner; and are separated or widowed or divorced, or are single and have never been married.

CONTACT: Holly Vershum of Match.com, +1-214-576-9431, or
hvershum@match.com ; or Sun Dee Larson of Barkley Evergreen & Partners Public
Relations, +1-816-512-9440, or SLarson@beap.com , for Match.com

Web site: http://www.match.com/