Yahoo! Personals Celebrates National Singles Week With Survey on Dating Attitudes from Across the U.S.; Yahoo! Personals Launches Nationwide Casting Call for ``Real People'' Ads.

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SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 22, 2003

Yahoo!(R) Personals (http://personals.yahoo.com), a leader in the online dating market, kicks off National Singles Week (Sept. 21-27) by releasing the results of an online singles survey. The Yahoo! Personals survey of more than 8,500 singles reveals a number of dating preferences that differ across the regions in the U.S. According to Unmarried America, there are 86 million singles in the U.S. And in recent months, as many as 45 million Americans per month visited online dating sites (ComScore, MMX, May 2003). Yahoo! Personals is also announcing the launch of its nationwide casting call for real people who use Yahoo! Personals to step up and be featured in advertisements for the service.

Do singles from the West demonstrate different attitudes and dating habits than those in the South, Midwest or East? According to the survey (complete survey follows) they do:

-- West Coast singles are happier about their solo status, but

still looking.

The Yahoo! Personals survey found that 61 percent of West Coast women and 54% of men are happier about being single than their East Coast counterparts. Although one-fourth of respondents (both men and women) from the West say they are "single and living it up," 75 percent of respondents from coast-to-coast say they are "single, but seriously looking" for their special match.

-- Big spenders live in the West.

Singles on the West Coast are the most likely to spend $100 or more on a date while those in the southern and eastern regions of the country spend only $25 to $50.

-- Smooches come first in the East.

Where are singles more likely to kiss on the first date? While more than half (53%) of singles surveyed say they typically don't do it, East Coast singles are more likely to lock lips on the first date.

-- When choosing a date, finding a person with a good job is four

times as important to singles in the West than the East.

-- Personality and primping matter most everywhere.

The majority of respondents (63%) for all regions say that personality is the most important trait when deciding whether to go out with someone. Once a date is set, taking the time to look their best is important for both men and women. Eighty percent of women spend an hour or more primping for a date, whereas just more than half (51%) of single men spend one hour getting ready.

In the Era of Celebrating Real People

Yahoo! Personals will hold a two-week open call beginning today through October 5, 2003 to allow its users to sign-up to be considered for Yahoo! Personals online advertisements. It's part of a promotion called "Project Real People," designed to help real Yahoo! Personals users tell their story of being single in the U.S. Finalists will be announced in early November and then travel to San Francisco to take part in a photo shoot and celebration. Singles can enter by visiting http://personals.yahoo.com/real.

About Yahoo! Personals

Yahoo! Personals was first introduced in the U.S. in 1997 and has quickly grown to become one of the leading and most popular online dating services available. The service offers a large, dynamic dating scene where users can search for, meet and communicate with a variety of people. Yahoo! Personals launched in Europe in June 2003 with sites in the United Kingdom and Ireland (http://personals.yahoo.co.uk), France (http://rencontres.yahoo.fr) and Germany (http://dating.yahoo.de).

About Yahoo!

Yahoo! Inc. is a leading provider of comprehensive online products and services to consumers and businesses worldwide. Yahoo! is the No. 1 Internet brand globally* and the most trafficked Internet destination worldwide. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., Yahoo!'s global network includes 25 world properties and is available in 13 languages.

* According to Brand Asset Valuator, 2003

Yahoo! and the Yahoo! logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Yahoo! Inc. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

National Singles Week Survey Results

September 2003

Being Single

-- Singles on the West Coast have a sunnier disposition about

their single status. Midwestern singles are the least happy

about being single.

-- West coast women are happier about being single than their

East Coast counterparts (61% compared to 49%).

-- Nearly one-fourth of singles on the West Coast indicate that

they are "single - and living it up!"

-- The majority of men and women (75%) say they are "single but

seriously looking." However, when asked, they acknowledge that

they rarely get out (39%).

-- Women are slightly more likely than men to say that they are

happy being single (51% compared to 48%, respectively).

However, of these same women who say they are happy, 75% also

say they are seriously looking for a partner.

-- More than 75% of singles in the Midwest say they are seriously

looking for a partner -- more than any other region in the

country.

-- It's unanimous! Men and women agree, the top three things they

like most about being single are:

1. Being in control of their own destiny 

2. Making their own schedules

3. Focusing on their own hobbies and interests

Choosing A Date

-- Physical appearance takes a back seat to personality. In fact,

the majority of singles (63%) say that personality is the most

important trait when deciding whether or not to go out with

someone.

-- Men are more likely than women to "fess up" that physical

appearance is an important factor when deciding whether or not

to go out with someone (22% compared to 14%, respectively).

-- Workin' it: Finding a date with a good job is most important

to singles in the West.

-- Men have fewer boundaries than women when it comes to dating

-- they are more likely than women to date someone they work

with (58% compared to 51%), date a friend's ex (33% compared

to 20%), and date within their circle of friends (67% compared

to 61%, respectively).

-- No way, Jose: On the other hand, 80% of women said they would

never date a friend's ex.

The Big Date

-- Out and about: More East Coasters say they go out at least 3

nights a week than singles in any other region of the country

-- The majority of singles (65%) say that it's more fun to plan

the first date together.

-- More women than men prefer to go dutch on a first date (38%

vs. 29%), while more men than women (66% vs. 57%) think the

person asking should pay for the date.

-- While more than half (53%) of singles surveyed say they

typically don't do it, singles on the East Coast are the most

likely to lock lips on the first date.

-- Weekend warriors: The majority of singles (66%) agree that the

best nights for a first date are Friday and Saturday.

-- It may not be surprising that nearly 80% of women spend an

hour or more primping for a date. But who would have thought

that more than half (51%) of single men spend one hour getting

ready for a date?

-- To deal with those pre-date jitters, women are more likely

than men (24% compared to 14%, respectively) to call a best

friend or family member to calm their nerves.

-- Nearly 1/3 of singles on the West Coast prefer to take it

casual and have coffee on the first date, while more than half

of singles in the south (57%) prefer to go to dinner to get to

know each other.

-- Big spenders: Singles on the West Coast are the most likely to

spend $100 or more on a date! In comparison, the average

amount spent in other regions of the country is $25 to $50.

After the date

-- The Internet is a popular way to meet people, but 76% of

respondents said that the best way to thank someone for a date

is the old fashioned way -- picking up the phone.

-- While only 10% of singles said that it's acceptable to e-mail

a thank you after a date, singles on the West Coast are most

likely to do it that way.

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