As part of the 12-month exclusive revenue-share deal, DatingDirect.com is developing a white-label version of its dating service to run as a branded channel on the web version of Time Out (www.timeout.com).
Available to UK users from the home page, the service will offer access to DatingDirect.com's 415,000 active members.
According to Time Out's commercial director, David Pepper, the entertainment brand attracts about 260,000 unique UK users a month. "It's the first time we've entered online dating, as we were taking our time and looking for something that would tie in with the magazine," he explained. "It's important with a dating service that you have enough people to be able to make it all work."
Well-known for its 'personals' in the print edition, Time Out will also run a page in the magazine featuring the web dating service to encourage readers to venture online. "It's a great way to reach people who normally read the magazine," explained Darren Richards, managing director of DatingDirect.com. "It is a bespoke service for Time Out that will drive and retain traffic."
DatingDirect.com has recently struck partnership deals with Channel 4 and Emap to offer online dating services.
.jpg)
.jpg)