Tinder and Bumble Are Throwing Parties at Frat Houses

Most dating app users have a favorite platform, and the two biggest names in the industry, Tinder and Bumble, have long enjoyed a sort of Coke vs. Pepsi-style rivalry. Now, the companies are encouraging college students to officially pick a side by sponsoring parties at campus Greek houses and having fraternities sign contracts declaring themselves either Tinder or Bumble houses.

According to Vox, the Houston Chronicle reported that these partnerships have been occurring in the Greek system at the University of Texas. The contract reportedly guarantees the house a specific amount of money, as well as potential cash bonuses for app downloads linked to a hosted event. The sponsoring app also decorates the designated party space with the app’s logo. While a Tinder spokesperson told Vox that the company “does not offer cash incentives to organizations based on signups or require a Tinder account for a person to enter an event,” some fraternities reportedly encourage more app downloads by only letting in students who show the app on their phone.

As Vox noted, this strategy is nothing new. In fact, it mirrors an early tactic employed by Tinder’s founders at the University of Southern California in the app’s infancy. Back in 2012 Tinder co-founder Justin Mateen reportedly invited fraternity and sorority members to a massive house party, only letting in those who had downloaded the app.

Dating apps are unsurprisingly popular on college campuses, and Tinder and Bumble have found many creative ways to target university students over the years. In 2018, Tinder launched Tinder U, a platform specifically for college students, and Bumble’s Honey Ambassador program taps students to host campus events.

If the past half century or so of pop culture is to be believed, college has always been about hooking up. Dating apps have just finally found a way to monetize it.

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