ParshipMeet Group

Who owns ParshipMeet Group?
ParshipMeet Group is a wholly owned subsidiary of ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, a publicly traded German media company. In 2025, ProSiebenSat.1 acquired General Atlantic's minority stake, making ParshipMeet Group a fully owned subsidiary. ProSiebenSat.1 is itself controlled by MFE-MEDIAFOREUROPE N.V., the Italian media group, which acquired a majority stake in September 2025.

Is ParshipMeet Group publicly traded?
No, ParshipMeet Group is not publicly traded. It operates as a private subsidiary of ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE. The company was previously a joint venture between ProSiebenSat.1 and General Atlantic but became a wholly owned subsidiary in 2025.

Who is the CEO of ParshipMeet Group?
Matthew Gain is the CEO of ParshipMeet Group. He took up the position on March 1, 2025, succeeding Marc Schachtel, who left at his own request after 14 years with the company. Gain previously held various management positions at Amazon's Audible subsidiary over nine years, most recently as Head of Europe, based in Berlin.

What brands does ParshipMeet Group own?
ParshipMeet Group owns eHarmony, Parship, ElitePartner, MeetMe, Skout, Tagged, and Lovoo. These brands span serious relationship matchmaking (eHarmony, Parship, ElitePartner) and social discovery and entertainment (MeetMe, Skout, Tagged, Lovoo).

When was ParshipMeet Group formed?
ParshipMeet Group was formed in 2020 following ProSiebenSat.1 Media's acquisition of The Meet Group for approximately $500 million. The company consolidated its dating assets (eHarmony, Parship, ElitePartner, and The Meet Group's platforms) under the ParshipMeet Group name.

What is ParshipMeet Group's revenue?
For FY2025, the Dating and Video segment of ProSiebenSat.1, which includes ParshipMeet Group, reported external revenues of EUR 285 million, a decline of 24% from EUR 375 million in FY2024. Dating revenues declined 19% and video revenues declined 31%.

How does ParshipMeet Group compare to Match Group?
Match Group (NASDAQ: MTCH) is significantly larger than ParshipMeet Group, owning Tinder, Hinge, Match.com, OkCupid, and other platforms with hundreds of millions of users globally. ParshipMeet Group is the third-largest dating and video company globally, with particular strength in the European serious relationship dating market.

What is eHarmony?
eHarmony is a U.S.-focused online dating platform founded in 2000 by Dr. Neil Clark Warren. It uses a proprietary compatibility matching system based on 29 dimensions of compatibility and is known for its focus on long-term relationships and marriage. eHarmony was acquired by NuCom Group (now part of ParshipMeet Group) in 2018 for approximately $50 million.

The history of ParshipMeet Group is the history of several independent dating platforms that were consolidated under one corporate structure between 2018 and 2020.

Parship was founded in 2000 in Hamburg, Germany, as one of Europe's first serious relationship-focused dating platforms. The platform used a scientific compatibility test developed by psychologists to match users based on personality traits. Parship grew to become one of the leading dating platforms in Germany and other European markets.

ElitePartner was founded in 2003 in Hamburg as a premium dating platform targeting educated professionals. The platform positioned itself as a high-quality alternative to mainstream dating sites, focusing on long-term relationships.

eHarmony was founded in 2000 in the United States by Dr. Neil Clark Warren, a clinical psychologist and theologian. The platform used a proprietary compatibility matching system based on 29 dimensions of compatibility. eHarmony became one of the most recognized dating brands in the United States, known for its focus on long-term relationships and marriage.

The Meet Group was formed through the consolidation of several social networking and dating apps. MeetMe (formerly myYearbook) was founded in 2005 as a social networking site. The company acquired Skout (a location-based dating app) in 2016 and Tagged (a social discovery platform) in 2016. The Meet Group also acquired Lovoo (a German dating app) in 2017. The Meet Group was publicly traded on NASDAQ before its acquisition.

ProSiebenSat.1 Media acquired Parship and ElitePartner through its NuCom Group digital commerce subsidiary. In 2018, NuCom Group (with General Atlantic as a co-investor) acquired eHarmony for approximately $50 million. In 2020, ProSiebenSat.1 Media acquired The Meet Group for approximately $500 million, taking the company private.

Following the acquisition of The Meet Group, ProSiebenSat.1 Media consolidated its dating assets under the ParshipMeet Group name in 2020, creating one of the world's largest online dating companies. Marc Schachtel, who had been with Parship since 2011 and served as COO from 2020, became CEO of the combined entity in 2021, initially as co-CEO and then as sole CEO from March 2023.

In March 2025, Matthew Gain succeeded Marc Schachtel as CEO. Gain is an Australian executive who previously held various management positions at Amazon's Audible subsidiary over nine years, most recently as Head of Europe, based in Berlin. Schachtel left the company at his own request after 14 years, having played a key role in the acquisitions and integrations of ElitePartner, eHarmony, and The Meet Group brands.

In 2025, ProSiebenSat.1 Media acquired General Atlantic's minority stake in ParshipMeet Group (and the broader NuCom Group), making ParshipMeet Group a wholly owned subsidiary. This simplification of the ownership structure was part of ProSiebenSat.1's broader strategic transformation under new leadership, including the appointment of Marco Giordani as Group CEO in October 2025 and the acquisition of a majority stake in ProSiebenSat.1 by MFE-MEDIAFOREUROPE N.V. in September 2025.

ParshipMeet Group operates in the online dating industry, which raises specific ethical considerations around user safety, data privacy, and the accuracy of matching algorithms. The company has implemented safety features across its platforms, including profile verification, photo moderation, and reporting tools.

The company operates across multiple jurisdictions with different privacy and data protection regulations. In Europe, ParshipMeet Group is subject to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which imposes significant requirements on companies that process personal data of EU residents. The company's platforms collect sensitive personal data including personality questionnaire responses, relationship preferences, and user communications.

eHarmony has faced historical criticism for its original exclusion of same-sex couples from its matching service. The company launched a separate same-sex dating service (Compatible Partners) in 2009 following legal pressure, and later integrated same-sex matching into the main eHarmony platform.

ParshipMeet Group has not published public ESG reports or science-based sustainability targets. The company's social impact initiatives focus on user safety, responsible matchmaking, and community guidelines across its platforms.

ParshipMeet Group and its constituent brands have faced scrutiny related to online dating safety, including concerns about fake profiles, scammers, and the accuracy of compatibility matching claims. The dating industry has been subject to regulatory attention regarding subscription practices, including automatic renewals and difficulty canceling subscriptions.

eHarmony's historical exclusion of same-sex couples was a significant controversy. The company faced lawsuits and regulatory pressure before launching Compatible Partners in 2009 and later integrating same-sex matching into the main platform.

The Meet Group's live video streaming features have raised concerns about content moderation, particularly regarding inappropriate content broadcast by users. The company has invested in moderation technology and human review processes to address these concerns.

Data privacy is an ongoing regulatory challenge. The company's platforms process sensitive personal data across multiple jurisdictions, and any data breach or privacy violation could result in significant penalties under GDPR or other regulations.

ProSiebenSat.1's acquisition of General Atlantic's minority stake in 2025 was reviewed by the Supervisory Board, which held extraordinary meetings in March 2025 to approve the transaction. The approval was given in connection with the intended sale of Verivox, another ProSiebenSat.1 subsidiary.