Bumble has taken a page out of the FIFA 23 playbook by climbing aboard the Emmy Award-winning hype train and offering us a chance to experience something from Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso IRL: the dating app Bantr.
Bantr was a central part of the season 2 storyline, beyond being a major sponsor of our favourite fictitious Premier League football team. Given the anonymous nature of the matching system, fans were left speculating about the identity of divorced AFC Richmond owner Rebecca Welton’s (Hannah Waddington) potential love interest.
Speculation pointed towards Jason Sudeikis’ titular Ted Lasso, but as the beloved comedy series progressed, it turned out to be [SPOILERS] AFC Richmond player Sam Obisanya (Toheeb Jimoh). What followed was quite the heartwarming relationship.
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For the non-Ted Lasso fans out there, how the Bantr x Bumble dating app works is dead simple.
Essentially, users are matched without seeing each other’s profile pictures to emphasise conversation and genuine connection over the superficial. Accessed via Bumble’s Date mode on a weekly basis, it’ll then let you chat for three minutes with the option to continue (and catch a glimpse of their unobscured profile) afterwards if all goes well.
And to help hopefuls break the ice, Bumble has revealed its top five Bantr conversation starters:
- Would you rather fight a bear or shark?
- What is the worst thing you ever did that your parents caught you doing when you were a teen?
- Play a speed round of two truths and a lie. Go!
- Kiss, marry, kill: queso, guacamole, salsa?
- OK tell me: what’s the most extreme dare you’ve ever accepted?
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“What someone looks like is only a small part of the story, there is so much more to learn about a potential partner than just appearances,” said Lucille McCart, Bumble’s APAC Communications Director.
“In fact, our most recent research found that three in five (57%) of Bumble users are now prioritising emotional availability and a quarter (24%) care less about a partner’s physical appearance.”
“Bumble’s new in-app Bantr experience is a fun way to encourage people to connect with their matches on a deeper level where they can gauge compatibility on shared interests and personality rather than focusing on the physical.”
‘Now is the time to remember that dating is meant to be fun, and this is a fun new way to make the first move.”
Starting from October 13th at 7 PM [AEDT], a weekly Bantr Live experience will be available to punters completely free of charge in Bumble’s Date Mode.
