DALLAS, Feb. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Match.com, an operating business of IAC announced today the successful completion of its acquisition of eDodo in China and Netclub in France. These two acquisitions are consistent with the continued aggressive global expansion plans for Match.com in 2007.
Match.com is coming off a record year, with revenue of $311.2 million, a 25% increase from 2005. An increase in international paid subscribers and continued development of global markets contributed greatly to the Company's success in 2006, with the most notable development in the United Kingdom and Scandinavia. Match.com currently operates more than 35 local country sites in 15 languages, and the company's reach spans six continents.
"Match.com is a global company but our focus is on leadership through local relevance," said Jim Safka, CEO of Match.com. "We don't operate the American version of the Match.com site in various markets; rather we invest time and resources in the local knowledge and local companies to create a successful experience for people in countries around the world then connect them to our worldwide database."
In 2006, Match.com launched a new site experience and brand campaign in France. Since the launch, the campaign has driven daily Match.com subscriptions up by 66%.
With the acquisition of Netclub, the third-largest French online dating site, Match.com once again makes clear its intention to be the undisputed leader in European online dating sites. According to JupiterResearch, European online dating sites continue to attract new users and in 2007 the category is expected to grow 30%.
The eDodo acquisition in China moves Match.com into an emerging online personals market with unparalleled opportunity for growth. There are more than 64 million online singles in China, and the iResearch.com market forecast projects that the online dating category will nearly double in 2007. With eDodo, Match.com has acquired one of the fastest growing social networking sites in China. eDodo has more than 180,000 paid members and nearly 3,000 new paid subscribers each day.
"We recognize there is enormous room for growth in our international markets, and for Match.com it is the perfect time to seek out the companies that will further the Match.com mission of creating couples all over the world," said Safka. "These two acquisitions in France and China are just the beginning of finding these world-class companies and accelerating their growth with our Match.com resources."
Founded in 1997 and born from the merger between Netclub.fr and Webseduction.com, Netclub is a leader in dating services promoting serious and long-term relationships. Offering a range of interaction-driven online personals and dating services in both France and Canada such as GOlive, the only instant messaging service dedicated to singles, Netclub has over 4 million French-speaking members and is the third largest player in France.
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 12-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 operates leading subscription-based online dating sites in 35 countries, in 15 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 .
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