‘Pop The Balloon’ makers are bringing their matchmaking formula to a dating app

In February, Bolia “BM” Matundu and Arlette Amuli, the couple behind the viral dating game show, appeared Pop the balloon or find lovehosted a gala outside Phoenix to celebrate the latest evolution of their matchmaking experiment: a dating app called Luv or Pop.

The couple says the move to technology was a natural progression in response to their audience.

“We got so many DMs, emails and comments from people like, ‘I’m too shy to come on the show. Can you please do something for those of us who don’t want to be public?'” Amuli said. “The dating app is the perfect way.”

“That’s where it is now: everything is technology,” Matundutold BLACK BUSINESS. “Everyone is on the phone and we just wanted to communicate more with our fans.”

The app reflects the show’s defining mechanics: the red balloon indicating interest or rejection.

“You can actually collect balloons and pop them in the app,” Matundu explains. “It kind of gives you an experience without having to come to the show.”

You said Luv or Pop is also designed to address the fatigue that many singles feel on traditional dating platforms.

“The way we’re trying to prevent another swipe, swipe, swipe app is through preference-based search,” says Amuli. “You specify your preferences, whether you want kids or someone 6 feet tall. People who appear on your feed are someone of your type based on what you put into them, so it limits the whole swiping aspect.”

“People who very deliberately sign up for our show,” Matundua added. “They are looking for real love. You have to verify your identity so they are real people in the app and not fake bots…verifying is very important for success.”

While many viral clips out Pop the balloon circulate because contestants fail to find a match, Amuli and Matundu say the real impact of the show changed the way they viewed their work.

“When people started finding real love and there were couples getting engaged and married, that’s what really blew up for us,” Matundu said.

“For me, it was during our first proposal that we had with Mike and Khe,” Amuli added, referring to contestants Mike Braswell and Nicole “Khe” Okeke’s engagement in 2024. “Then I was like, ‘Oh my God, wait! People really come with the intention of finding a match and actually getting married.’ Then the light went off.”

The series has also made Amuli an unlikely relationship referee. Her reactions, questions and the occasional offer to return a burst balloon have become part of the show’s appeal.

“She is great in front of the camera,” Matundu said. “She knows what to say. She keeps the conversations going and calms people’s nerves.”

“I think it’s just a matter of being nice,” Amuli said. “I like to make people feel welcome.”

Amuli credits her husband’s production eye for the show’s consistency.

“He is a perfectionist,” Amuli said. “When you look at the set – the shots, the lighting – it’s all his. That’s what I think really keeps people engaged, the production is so clear and clean.”

The couple expanded the concept in 2025 when Netflix launched a live adaptation of Pop the balloonwith Amuli and Matundu as executive producers and comedienne Yvonne Orji as host. The transition underscored both the show’s reach and the challenge of scaling a format built on intimacy.

Now they face a similar test Luv or Pop: translating a community built around watching strangers date into a community that actively participates.

“The hardest part is giving people confidence in what you are building,” says Matundu. “There will be bugs. There will be problems you have to solve. The hard part is keeping people there. We’re going to make it work.”

“It makes people see what’s different about this app,” Amulia added. “You have to experience it for yourself before you decide if it’s for you.”

At the Luv or Pop During the gala, supporters enthusiastically greeted the couple, cheered their arrival and posed for photos – a reminder that the show has evolved beyond online entertainment into a shared social experience.

Luv or Pop app is currently in beta testing. Whether the formula that spawned engagements and marriages on YouTube will translate into a dating platform remains to be seen. But Amuli and Matundu say their goal isn’t just downloads. They want participation. And, ideally, more real competitions.

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