FriendFinder Networks Announces IPO Filing

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Online relationship network FriendFinder Networks has registered for a $460 million initial public offering. FriendFinder Networks used to be called Various, Inc. until it was acquired by Penthouse Media Group in December 207. FriendFinder Networks owns many dating sites, including flagship adult site, AdultFriendFinder.

I briefly met Marc Bell, the CEO of FriendFindher Networks and Managing Director of Marc Bell Capital Partners at iDate last year. I also remember him from 2000, when I was tracking datacenters all over the world and his Globix company was front and center in the IT world. I’m sure Marc snatched up Various Inc with the idea of an IPO from day one.

The offering is “up to” $460 million. That is an absolute best-case scenario. AdultFriendFinder should be fairly recession-proof, given that people are naughty regardless of the economy. However, it’s an unfortunate time to plan for an IPO, I wouldn’t be surprised if they had to pull it in the spring if market conditions continue to worsen. I wonder if FriendFinder Networks could make it into the Vice Fund?

We don’t have much to go on until the prospectus is published. I’ve worked with several companies during the quiet period, and given the handcuffs the SEC puts you in, expect rampant speculation based on few facts.

Like so many relationship sites, AFF had a massive traffic spike over the summer. To put FriendFinder Networks in perspective, it made somewhere in the neighborhood of $150 million last year with approximately 20 million unique visitors per month.